Georgetown Students Make Neighborhood Solar One House At A Time

• September 16, 2010
• 2 Comments

by Mark Wellborn

A group of students at Georgetown are going door to door in DC’s oldest neighborhood in the hopes of convincing area homeowners to transition to solar power.

Members of Georgetown Energy

According to GreenDCDaily, Georgetown Energy, a student-run group, has been organizing community meetings and talking to area homeowners about the benefits of solar power. Their goal is to have 40 Georgetown homes go solar by May 2011, and so far four residents have begun solar installations and 14 others are strongly considering the switch, according to GreenDCDaily.

While the future of the Earth is certainly on their minds, Georgetown Energy’s focus seems to be on cost savings, noting that the DC, Federal and Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) can help recoup 90 percent of the solar costs. Also, by ordering equipment through Georgetown Energy, homeowners can save 3 percent of the gross cost.

UrbanTurf reader Matt Latham laid out the cost structure for the his 2.6 kW solar roof system for a recent UrbanTurf Reader Asks. Below are the calculations:

• Total Cost: $20,000
• Fed Credit: $6,000
• DC Grant: $8,500
• Net System Cost: $5,500
• 20 Year Internal Rate of Return: 18%
• Payback: 4 years
• Additional improvement value: $8,500

Similar Posts:

• Georgetown: History, Hoyas and H&M
• What Effect Will Adding Solar Panels Have on the Value of My Home?

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/georgetown_students_make_neighborhood_solar_one_house_at_a_time/2480

2 Comments

1. jag said at 10:39 pm on Thursday September 16, 2010:
   While my AU side wants to hate on GeorgetownU, I can't help but say good job! and AU rules.

1. UnoTres said at 3:31 pm on Friday September 17, 2010:
   Outstanding! This should be a no brainer for most...