Neighbors in Richmond have formed a solar co-op to make going solar easier and cheaper. Co-op members use their group buying power to get a discount and work with the support of the nonprofit VA SUN as homes and businesses go solar. VA SUN brought the first Solarize program to Virginia and has helped hundreds of homeowners go solar in the commonwealth.

The co-op gets on average a 20 percent discount compared to the cost of an individual installation. It uses a competitive bidding process and selects a single company to install systems on all participating homes and businesses. Each participant signs their own contract at the group discount. VA SUN educates participants about solar and acts as a consumer advocate throughout the process.

For more information, email Aaron Sutch at [email protected] or Sekar Veerapan at [email protected].