Anna told us that she decided to go solar with GRID because she wants to "help the next generations of whoever else lives in this house."
A resident of Berry Creek Rancheria, Anna was impressed by solar benefits ever since she saw a television episode of Extreme Makeover about green building upgrades delivered to a Navajo family in Piñon, Arizona. "I am a fan of how using solar power is resourceful by using what we already have," she says.
Three months ago, GRID installed a solar photovoltaic system for Anna and her canine companions, Sassy and Buddy, through our no-cost solar program, Energy for All. Over the system's lifetime, we estimate that it will prevent 30 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to planting 711 tree seedlings and save Anna close to $18,000.
As a disabled person, Anna told us that having enough money to cover all her bills is essential. "Rent, water, trash, and life insurance bills are paid in advance." Paying her life insurance is particularly important to Anna, so she and her family can have peace of mind. An avid television fan, saving money also means that Anna can afford to buy meaningful TV shows she grew up watching.
The system GRID installed was sized to Anna's needs or "energy demand," which is why this system was relatively small in size. Sized at 1.95 kW, which, compared to many of our other systems, is smaller, other residential systems usually run from 3.5 kW to 4.5 kW.
"If it works for me, I hope others see what they could do at their place. I hope they can see what they could do to get help [with their energy bill]," she says.