Ron Burgess was 24 years old, serving his country in the Air Force and looking forward to a full life when it happened… an accident that nearly killed him. Although he wanted to complete his enlistment commitment with the Air Force, it was determined that due to his injuries, the Air Force released him with a medical discharge. This was not to be his last brush with life changing health concerns.
Jump forward to 2018. Ron, diagnosed with esophageal cancer, endured chemo and radiation therapy and then surgery to remove the cancer. Ironically, they also had to remove his stomach, which left Ron dependent on oxygen and a feeding tube for the rest of his life. Making ends meet has always been a struggle for Ron and his wife, Brenda, but now with medical equipment running in their home on a continual basis, their utility bills are soaring.
When Ron and Brenda heard about GRID Alternatives and the opportunity to get solar installed on their home, they quickly applied to see if they qualified for a system and after approval, their system installation coincided in time to celebrate the 2,000th solar panel installation in the Central Valley.
“We are going to save a lot of money on our PG&E bill,” said Brenda Burgess. “GRID Alternatives, has been really great to work with. They are really nice and everyone is really knowledgeable, and these guys that worked on our roof worked really hard.”
The installation took two days to complete because of the heat, but normally, a standard home installation could be done in one day. The 3.7-kilowatt DC system installed on Burgess’ home could save them 92 percent on their monthly energy bills, and will add up to a total 7,961 kilowatts that GRID has installed in the Central Valley. Such a system costs on average $11,000-$14,000. Solar panel systems from GRID Alternatives will save families in the Valley over $73 million over a lifetime and bring savings to over $320 million for families across the country over a lifetime.
Summer is hot in the Central Valley and many families have good reasons why they find it necessary to use a lot of electricity in their home on a continual basis. Ron and Brenda Burgess is just one of the many families that GRID Alternatives are honored to help save on their utility bill to provide a better quality of life for their family. 