By Michael Harthorne
For any Queen Anners who have ever thought about converting their homes to solar energy, now is the time.
Solarize Queen Anne, a joint project between Northwest SEED, Sustainable Queen Anne and Sunergy Systems, kicked off its efforts to remove the barriers that often keep people away from personal solar energy Dec. 6.
Solarize Queen Anne is the first step in Solarize Seattle. Neighbors purchasing solar panels in bulk reduces the cost, and the nonprofit partners can provided simple and streamlined information about solar energy, said Alex Sawyer, Solarize Seattle project coordinator.
Solarize Seattle is based on Solarize Portland, which started in June 2009 and has since quadrupled the amount of Portland residents using solar power in the last year and a half, Sawyer said.
“It’s really gone wild down there,” she said.
Solarize Seattle decided to start with Queen Anne because it was one of the most excited neighborhoods for the project and has ideal demographics and a sunny south-facing slope, Sawyer said.
Queen Anne residents can register for Solarize Queen Anne online or at a kickoff event from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. tonight at 2501 Westview Dr. W. Dinner and holiday treats will be provided. There will be workshops for residents over the next four months.
Appeared in Queen Anne KOMO Communities on December 6, 2010.