I have been volunteering with a great organization, Grid Alternatives. They put solar power on low income housing. The goal is to help people lower their monthly utility bill and at the same time reduce greenhouse gases...a win win! The installs are done with volunteers like myself supervised of course by people that know what they are doing.
The nice thing about this is that not only does this reduce their costs but it exposes people to solar energy, They want to teach you about installing this technology. They are VERY patient with everyone who comes out as some folks with no experience show up...i.e. can't use a screw driver, . They want you to have a wonderful experience...and you do. In the end everyone pitches in and gets some hands on.
I just helped on a project in Oakland that was in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity. They are building several low income condo units and Grid Alternatives is installing solar on each one, 16 in total I think. The cool thing about this is that they don't give away the panels. They work out a loan so that a customer's monthly payment is less than their current energy bill. This makes sure that people who get these really want them..and will be ambassadors for GA. It is really exciting to see customers come out every10 minutes asking it is done yet? When they finally flip the switch to turn on the system and watch the meter run backwards, the smile on their face is a huge reward.
Don't get me wrong it can be hard work and being on a roof all day takes it out of you. When you get home you are tired but its the best kind of "tired" you can have.
http://www.gridalternatives.org/
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