Rockbridge Co. Residents Form Solar Co-Op to Go Solar Together, Get a Discount   Lexington, VA (Oct. 29, 2015) - Neighbors in Rockbridge County have formed a solar co-op to save money and make going solar easier, while building a network of solar supporters. The Rockbridge Area Conservation Council, Main Street Lexington, the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund, Boxerwood Nature Center and VA SUN are the co-op sponsors. The group is seeking members and will host an information meeting November 5 in Lexington (details below) to educate the community about solar and the co-op process. “We’re forming this co-op to make saving money with solar energy as simple as possible,” said Bob Biersack, one of the organizers. “Working with the group helps members learn about the technology so they feel confident in their decision to go solar.” VA SUN expands access to solar by educating Virginians about the benefits of distributed solar energy, helping them organize group solar installations, and strengthening Virginia’s solar policies, as well as its community of solar supporters. The group has helped hundreds of Virginians go solar. “I am excited to work with Rockbridge residents to educate them about the benefits of solar energy,” said Aaron Sutch, VA SUN Program Director. “If you’ve ever thought about going solar before, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.” Rockbridge County residents interested in joining the co-op can sign up at the co-op website. Joining the co-op is not a commitment to purchase panels. Once the group is large enough, VA SUN will help the co-op solicit competitive bids from area solar installers. Co-op members will select a single company to complete all of the installations. They will then have the option to purchase panels individually based on the installer’s group rate. By going solar as a group and choosing a single installer, each participant generally saves up to 20% off the cost of their system. Information Session Details November 5, 6:30 p.m. Old County Courthouse 2 South Main Street, Lexington (For more information on the local coop visit the RACC website at rockbridgeconservation.org/ or go to the local co-op’s page at vasun.org.

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