1. What is this fundraiser?
A DC solar panel company and longtime corporate donor to the Maury PTA, Solar Solutions LLC, has offered to donate one fully-installed solar panel system. In other words: One full solar panel system, up to 20 panels. This system is "turnkey": it includes panels, microinverters, cable/wiring, installation, and interconnection to the grid -- everything you need -- so that when you flip the switch, it starts making electrons and saving you significantly on your electric bill. Best of all, winning bidder and solar panel owner's final "cost" -- which will be a Solar Solutions donation to Maury Elementary -- will be zero after the 30% federal tax rebate.
The Maury PTA is therefore holding an auction for one fully-installed solar panel system starting this October 22nd.
If you are the winner of the auction, Solar Solutions LLC will install a solar panel system on your home, while all proceeds of your winning bid will go to the Maury PTA to benefit Maury Elementary.
2. When is this fundraiser, specifically the auction? When would I get my panels, if I win?
The auction will take place the week of October 22nd. Maury will have a website with our online auction software, where you can input your bid.
After that, it usually takes a few months, because of paperwork (and weather!) to get the panels up. There isn’t much solar energy in the winter anyway, so you’ll be up and cookin’ by the time spring comes around. Once your system is turned on, you should see a much lower electric bill!
3. Wait, how do I get this thing on my roof? Like how will this all work?
Let’s get a bit more into the details.
Are you interested in participating in the auction to get a new solar panel system on your roof at this auction? Here is how it will work:
Send an e-mail to James Sheats, Senior Design Technician at Solar Solutions, and explain you are Maury family participating in the auction and would like a system estimate (see a draft e-mail below, if you’d like to cut and paste).
CC me, Kenyon Weaver, at this e-mail (kenyons_email@yahoo.com), so I can track who is interested.
Solar Solutions will send you an estimate. This estimate will show you the estimated size of solar panel system, electricity generation, and cost (were you to purchase it directly, and not via this auction). The estimate will look like the “Net Free Solar Proposal” PDF that was attached the listserve e-mails.
On Monday, October 22nd, we will open the auction on a website. You can log on, put in your bid. This will be almost identical to bidding on the Maury at the Market website. After the bidding period is closed, the solar panel system will be awarded to the highest bidder. (We don’t know how many days we will keep it open, maybe a few.)
Questions specific to the auction (how it will work)? Feel free to e-mail me.
Questions specific to the system? E-mail James at Solar Solutions.
4. Uhhhhhh...I definitely have some questions. What is the benefit? How much should I bid? Like, I mean, what does that mean “for free”?
Ultimately, the benefit of a solar panel system to you is a lower electric bill. This will depend on the size of your solar panel system, and how much electricity you already use. If you spend about $1000/year on electricity, for example, a solar panel system on a sunny but narrow rowhouse might save you $500/year.
Fortunately: Solar Solutions will tell you! If you e-mail James for an analysis / estimate, they will look at your roof, tell you how many panels can fit, and thus how much you can expect to save in electricity costs.
It really all comes down to how many panels your roof can hold, and how sunny it is. Some homes will support more panels than others. Some homes are sunnier / better “angled” than others. The Solar Solutions quote estimate will tell you.
