Santa Fe Homeowners Go Solar
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Homewise
David and Stefanie Sundberg were still settling into the home of their dreams when they decided to go solar. They had started a new life together beneath the brilliant blue skies and amid the wide open spaces of Santa Fe a few years earlier, having moved from New England.
After securing jobs in their new hometown, they grew tired of paying ever-increasing rent prices and bought a home through Homewise. Shortly after unpacking boxes, moving in furniture, and making a plan for their two acres of land they now owned, they returned to Homewise in October of 2012 for a home-improvement loan. “Our new home and our property is our haven,” says David. “We love spending time here. Stefanie loves to decorate, finding bargains at estate sales, and I love working in the yard.”
The couple understood the advantages of installing solar photovoltaic, which would reduce their carbon footprint and lower their energy bills dramatically. “They were very proactive about what they wanted to do when they came in for their loan,” says Kate Campbell, home improvement officer at Homewise. “They had such a great experience buying their home through us, that they had no hesitation coming back when they were ready to install solar PV.”
At the time of this writing, David reported that they had just turned the solar PV on the day before. “I’m thrilled,” said David. “We started drawing in energy immediately. We had 35 kilowatt hours the first day.” David expects the panels to receive five kilowatts every hour, for about 1,000 kilowatts each month. The extra kilowatts they build up during the summer months will be banked for use during the winter. If they have more energy banked than what they can use, the electric company will buy it back.
David and Stefanie are now ambassadors for “going solar” within the community, encouraging their colleagues and friends to consider the financial and environmental advantages of harnessing, while preserving, the planet’s resources. They love to tell the story of how they found their dream home, and how the power of the sun is going to help them fuel and secure their future.
To learn more about home-improvement loans through Homewise, call 983-WISE (9473).
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