HERE COMES THE SUN

RELI's 5th Annual Solar Tour and
Green Buildings Open House

Imagine hefty savings on your energy bill while reducing carbon emissions. Imagine opening your LIPA bill and seeing a total due less than half your usual bill, or even as little as $6. That's already a reality for the 1,400 Long Islanders who've added solar panels to their homes and businesses. On October 4, these energy-savvy islanders opened their doors to let their neighbors see first-hand how harnessing the power of the sun provides a clean, safe and money-saving way to meet their energy needs.

At 75 locations across Long Island, visitors went door to door during the self-guided and free "National Solar Tour and Green Building Open House" to find out why it’s a financially and environmentally smart move to add solar, geothermal and other forms of green building
technologies to their homes and work places. Visitors saw homes that generated more solar electricity than they could use and watched as their neighbors’ electric meters spin backwards feeding power back to LIPA.

“The attractive financial incentives, coupled with the present uncertainty in the financial markets, make this the perfect time to add solar and other clean energy alternatives to our homes and businesses,” said Gordian Raacke, executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island (RELI), which organizes the tour in our region. “An investment in solar power comes with a guaranteed financial return in the form of dramatically lower energy bills and that’s difficult to find these days on Wall Street.”
“LIPA is proud to partner with RELI and the generous homeowners who have opened their homes to friends and neighbors to get a first hand look at the benefits of using solar energy,” said LIPA president and CEO Kevin Law. “With the help of LIPA’s Solar Pioneer program, which boasts close to 1,400 participants and has resulted in more than $35 million in LIPA rebates, Long Island has become a leader in solar power throughout the entire state.” New to the tour this year, visitors can pick up a free copy of the 44-page LI Green Guide, a consumer directory and guide to green professionals and businesses on the Island, compiled for the first time by Renewable Energy Long Island.