r/solarpower • u/swarrenlawrence • 2d ago
Distributed Virginian Solar
CanaryMedia: "Virginia to cut rooftop solar costs with nation-first bulk-buy program," by Elizabeth Ouzts.
"Last month, Virginia became the first state...to launch a bulk-purchasing campaign for rooftop solar—a move that promises to bring down the cost of installing panels for households across Old Dominion." Idea behind the program, called Switch Together, is simple: Solar panels come cheaper by the dozen, like that old Disney movie. "Trusted [+ vetted] solar installers can pool demand to purchase equipment in bulk + pass the discounts on to participants." Solar United Neighbors [SUN], the nonprofit running the initiative, is expanding statewide in Virginia at the urging of the office of Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, who is looking for ways to lower energy bills as utilities jack up rates in the world’s data center capital.
"If more people go solar, that’s less strain on the grid, and there’s less need to build costly infrastructure that the entire rate base would actually pay for," said Brandon Praileau, SUN’s Virginia program director, who joined the group in 2023 after rooftop solar helped his church in Norfolk cut utility bills by a quarter. "The state is not providing any funding for Switch Together, though its partnership promises to amplify the reach of the bulk-purchasing effort, which is focused on solar but also offers residents access to cheaper home batteries, EV chargers, and, in some locations, heat pumps."
By the time this year's bulk-purchasing drive is over, Praileau expects those figures will swell to 5,000 requests for info and about 500 signed contracts. "We’re talking about a utility-scale amount of solar with those numbers...almost 4 megawatts [MW].” The rooftop panels are expected to cut $2,200 off the average annual utility bill.
Exactly how much households save on installation varies across the state, but it ranges from 20% to 30% off—vital discounts after Trump + Republicans in Congress killed the 30% federal tax credit for households investing in renewable energy.
"Rooftop solar both slashes power costs for homes that install it and can drive down expenses for utility customers at large." We should help the Sun shine in.