Save money by going solar

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Dear Editor:

Since I was a young kid, I always dreamed of having a house with solar panels. I figured that when I built the “dream home” I would live in for 30 years, solar panels would be a financial no-brainer. Like, who wouldn’t want to go solar? It makes too much sense not to do it.

In 2016, I did just that: built the dream home and installed solar. In 2016, I knew nothing about solar panels – how they worked exactly, which way they need to face, potential HOA hurdles, which companies are reliable, and how much I should expect to pay. As such, the process of navigating equipment choices, pricing and finding a reliable installer on my own was daunting. It was a steep learning curve, and I often felt overwhelmed by the jargon. I eventually got my system installed, but looking back, I realize how much easier and more confident I would have felt if I’d had a support system.

That’s why I am so supportive of the work Solar United Neighbors (SUN), a national non-profit, is doing with their local co-ops across our state. SUN makes the process of going solar easier. When you go solar alone, you’re just one customer navigating a complex market. But through a co-op, you are part of a community. You get to leverage collective buying power to secure competitive bids from local installers, ensuring a high-quality system at a fair price without the “hard sell.”

If you are considering solar, please don’t feel like you have to go it alone. I highly encourage you to explore SUN’s newly launched Central Indiana Solar Co-op. They provide the education and objective guidance I wish I had at the start. You can learn more at SolarUnitedNeighbors.org/INCentral. They even host free public information sessions where you can ask questions without any commitment.

It’s a fantastic opportunity to find out if solar is right for your home, surrounded by neighbors who are exploring the same cleaner, more affordable future.

Joey Myles
Indianapolis