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c/climate-actionval_williamsval_williams19d agoProlific Poster

Had a chat with my neighbor about his solar panels, and it made me rethink everything about my carbon footprint

Last Saturday I was grilling and my neighbor Dave came over to complain about his HOA fighting his solar install. He showed me his electric bills from the past 6 months, he's saving $80 a month and his system paid for itself in under 4 years. I've been sitting here feeling guilty about climate change but not actually doing anything about it. It hit different because he's not some rich guy, he's just a normal dude who saved up and planned it out over 2 years. Made me realize I've been making excuses about cost and roof angle instead of just getting a quote. Anyone else had that moment where a regular person's actions made you face your own inaction?
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3 Comments
murray.drew
Did you catch that piece on NPR a few weeks ago about community solar gardens? They basically let you subscribe to a local array and get credit on your bill without touching your own roof. Might be worth looking into if Dave's situation got you thinking.
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jenny_hall
jenny_hall19d ago
@murray.drew you're right, that NPR piece was actually pretty solid. My buddy signed up for one of those community solar deals last year and says it knocked a solid chunk off his electric bill every month. No panels on his roof, no landlord approval needed. It's a decent option if you're renting or your roof faces the wrong way like mine does. Honestly wish more people knew about this stuff instead of just thinking solar means dropping ten grand upfront.
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joel_hall17
Wait, so you're telling me I could've been feeling guilty about my carbon footprint this whole time without needing to actually climb up on my roof and install anything?
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