San Jose Launches Program Offering Incentives For Going Solar
SAN JOSE (KCBS) – San Jose is offering a price break for employees who are looking to go solar in their own homes.
The program is called SunShares, a collaboration between the City of San Jose and the Bay Area Climate Collaborative, which offers a more affordable option for solar energy.
KCBS' Betsy Gebhart Reports:
It will allow employees of participating companies and credit unions to "group-buy" solar power for their homes, that according to the program's spokeswoman Mary Tucker.
"Typically, costs are $20,000-25,000, depending on what you're looking at within your home and the amount of solar electricity that you would want," she said. "Now you'd be looking at $13,000-20,000."
And Tucker said that's before state and federal credit rebates for going solar.
SunShares is based on the City of San Jose employee solar group-buy program, in which employees and retirees were able to negotiate more than 40 percent off retail solar power rates with solar providers SunPower and SunWater Solar.
Technology Credit Union has also joined as a major partner and will offer custom financing for its members.
Tucker said the hope is to bring other cities into the mix for the group-buy program.
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