Shelby’s Solar Co-op Story in Pennsylvania
- Stories
Solar United Neighbors recently sat down with Shelby in Port Matilda, PA, who went solar through the Centre County 2024 Solar Co-op. Read on to learn more about Shelby’s experience.
This solar story is transcribed from a live interview.
Was the co-op helpful in your journey to go solar?
I did a lot of research myself, and then I joined both the 2021 and 2024 Centre County Solar Co-ops, where I just asked the installers as many detailed questions as I could think of. Buying in bulk with the co-op just seemed very helpful.
I hate shopping. So the idea of having someone to figure out all of those logistics was great and increased my trust of the process. The cost savings were a big benefit of the co-op. But the biggest benefit was having the availability of a local installer.
Did you have barriers to going solar?
We joined the first co-op, and from the information provided by SUN, we knew that it wasn’t the right time for us to go solar. But the second time the co-op opened, we were very confident that it was a much better time for us.
After we had signed the contract, the workers came to do the installation. When they were up on the roof, they told me that the roof wasn’t in as good of condition as they originally thought. They were able to put the installation on pause while I got the roof replaced – that same week – and then they could restart the installation with no additional cost to us. I was thinking this would delay us for a long time, so that was way beyond my expectations.
Did you have any issues with your Homeowners Association?
Our development is run by an Association. We found out that their Architectural Review Committee needed to approve our plans. It was going to take me a day and a half to pull together everything they needed. And then they said that it would take 3 months for them to review and get a decision back to us. That was ridiculous. In the end, I had to push very hard for them to expedite the review. I don’t understand why this happens. Solar is aesthetically wonderful!
Why did you want to go solar in the first place?
Climate change issues were a major motivator for me. But my wife and I were in a position in our lives to be able to afford going solar. I wasn’t sure if Pennsylvania was too cloudy for solar to work well, so the information I received making it clear that solar does work well in Pennsylvania was helpful. The house and the roof are perfect for solar. Plus, the cost and the efficiency of the panels kept getting better. All these factors came together at the right time.
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