Romantic & Green: Illinois Couple Buys Solar Power System Using Wedding Registry
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 09.12.08
I do... Want Solar Power
Our friends at the Daily Green have a nice heart-warming story about Sarah and Kiril Lozanov, a young couple who decided to use their wedding registry to go solar. They couldn't afford the 1.7kw solar system needed to power their 800 sq. ft. condo by themselves.
"As we curled up to create our gift registry, we talked about the kind of life we wished to lead,” recalled Sarah Lozanov, a renewable energy specialist at Solar Servicein Illinois. “We thought about the clean, healthy world we value, and concluded that the only thing really wanted was a solar system,” she said.
Read on to find out how they educated their families about solar power and what commitments they had to make to their homeowner’s association.
A Solar Plan for the Future
Here's how they did it:
First, they created a wedding registry through a blog site where they described in detail the solar system they wished to acquire, along with the economic and environmental benefits it would reap for them on an ongoing basis. [...]After reading of the Losanov’s plans, the majority of their 75 wedding guests enthusiastically contributed to their solar fund. Sarah and Kiril identified government incentives to cover the balance of their project. A State of Illinois solar rebate check defrayed 30% of the system cost and a federal tax credit yielded $2,000. The two incentives offset the solar system cost by about 50 percent. [...]
They also had to reassure their homeowner's association that the solar system on the roof wouldn't be a problem. They made several promises:
- No penetrations of the roof membrane
- Keep wiring out of sight
- Contain system components (the AC disconnect, for example) within their respective condominium unit
Their solar panels often generates surplus electricity during the day. Because it doesn't have batteries and is plugged into the grid, that surplus is pumped back in the grid and helps reduce their electricity bill (Illinois has net-metering).
Via Daily Green
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That is awesome, go IL! (I live down near St. Louis)
Well, the only comment I have is Wow! What a beautifully sensitive way to go about this! COngratulations are due not only to the couple but also to everyone who supported them.
Now, if only this story could come on national television - I would much rather watch something positive like this than the political noise that we get everyday myself! Thanks, Treehugger, these guys are today's real heroes!
This is a really cool idea. I know by the time I get married my girlfriend and I will already have most of the things most people would want to ask for on a wedding registry: furniture, dishes, appliances, and whatnot. Solar isn't a bad thing to ask for.
Bravo guys!
that's what i wanted to do for our wedding registry but we figured they would cost too much and we currently can't afford to pay the rest. so glad you were able to do it though.
"Contain system components (the AC disconnect, for example) within their respective condominium unit"
I would be very careful if you do an install like this, make sure it is both legal and safe. The point of an AC disconnect is to protect line workers I thought, so if they aren't home and it's inside, could be a problem.
thank you very nice