Seeing the sunshine through the snow
“From the design to the structural review to the installation, everything ran really smoothly with this project. It was less than 12 weeks from contract signing to installation. The family is looking forward to watching their meter roll backwards and smaller utility bills.”
February 2011 was part of an unusually snowy winter in the Northeast – not a time when many people were even thinking about solar panels, much less having them installed. But the Rorer family of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania had been looking for a way to cut their electricity bill while doing something good for their community, so solar power was an obvious choice.
The Rorers contacted Real Goods Solar, and with the help of both the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protections’ Sunshine Solar program and the 30% Federal Income Tax Credit, they secured a 6.75 kW system that produces over 60% of their electrical needs, and they couldn’t be happier.
| Size | 6.75 kW | ||
| Production | 8,767 kWh/year | ||
| Solar panels | SunPower 225W (30 panels) | ||
| Mounting | Roof | ||
| Location | Newtown Square, PA | ||
| Online since | 2011 |
System offsets:*
| Annual | Lifetime | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pounds of CO2 | 13,328 | 333,200 | ||
| Miles driven | 14,064 | 351,600 | ||
| Trees planted | 155 | 3,875 |
*Calculations based on EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator. System lifetime is assumed to be 25 years.
