New parents stunned after receiving $7,000 grant for brand-new solar panels: 'More families can benefit the way ours has'

The old saying "What you don't know can't hurt you" is one of the sillier proverbs to grace the pages of the Oxford Dictionary. It can indeed, at least as far as bank accounts are concerned.

A recent article in Solar United Neighbors highlights this in a story about new parents who discovered a solar co-op model and received a $7,000 grant that balanced their solar panel installation expenses.

The scoop

Living in Tucson, Arizona, comes with a fair share of highlights, but the cost of energy in the arid environment isn't one of them. Timothy and Jess experienced the dry version of the South Florida problem — extremely high cooling bills. 

In search of relief, they found a solar co-op model, connecting with an installation crew and a grant program that removed a huge chunk of their total expense. 

How it's helping

Thanks to federal grant programs under the Inflation Reduction Act, there are 60 recipients tasked with expanding or creating low-income solar programs, one of which Timothy and Jess took advantage of. 

Online marketplaces such as EnergySage offer tools to help consumers compare quotes and view installation estimates, with a site layout that's simple to navigate and understand. 

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the cost of solar panels has decreased by 50% in the last decade. Coupled with federal (and state) tax incentives, now is a good time to start looking and comparing quotes. 

The co-op pricing and grant helped Timothy and Jess acquire the solar panels and pay for the installation, reducing their electric bills and carbon footprint.

The Trump administration, however, has paused funding and canceled some awards for solar programs and initiatives. There are ongoing legal battles over the move, so the kind of deal Timothy and Jess found is now uncertain. 

Currently, 84% of IRA climate funding is contractually committed. In other words, EnergySage can still point people in the right direction, though there may be delays in processing orders. It's not the only smart home initiative out there, but it's a big step in the right direction. 

If you were to install home solar panels, which of these factors would be your primary motivation? Energy independence ⚡ Lower power bills 💰 Helping the planet 🌎 No chance I ever go solar 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

What everyone's saying

"Going solar in 2024 was one of the best financial decisions that we ever made for our family, and the federal solar tax credits made the project possible for us," Timothy said. "We are saving hundreds of dollars on our monthly bill, which we use to buy groceries and other critical household goods. Without these incentives, we honestly wouldn't have been able to make the switch. … They need to be protected so more families can benefit the way ours has."

Online services such as those EnergySage offers give consumers quick, comprehensive ways to find the savings that make solar panel installation possible, especially for low-income homeowners. 

It also facilitates competition, which lowers prices, as this Redditor explained: "The last solar company I briefly worked at, most of our sales were $3.20-3.50, but if a customer went through EnergySage, it was $2.80 because it meant they were more price-conscious."

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