Newlyweds convince guests to fund for their solar dreams

What would you do if you had to raise 12,300 to turn your new home into a solar powered green house? Well you could beg borrow or steal them but, how about taking an inspiration from this entrepreneurial couple who used their gift registry to collect funds. The couple in their early thirties had to afford a solar system to power their 800 sq. ft. condominium, the idea came to them when they sat down to plan the gift registry for their September 2007 wedding. The couple then set out to educate family and friends about the benefits of going solar – and how a contribution to the 1.7-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system they wanted to install on their condominium rooftop would empower them to create the sustainable lifestyle they yearned to live. The majority of their 75 wedding guests enthusiastically contributed to their solar fund. A State of Illinois solar rebate check further helped reduce the total costs by a good 30% and a federal tax credit yielded $2,000. The two incentives offset the solar system cost by about 50 percent. That was just the finance, now came time to convince the homeowners association, Sarah and husband Kiril made several promises to the association:
1. No penetrations of the roof membrane,
2. Keep wiring out of sight and
3. Contain system components (the AC disconnect, for example) within their respective condominium unit.

The system often generates surplus electricity during the day. It is not equipped with batteries, so electricity they don’t consume flows to the power grid. It gives the residents in the neighborhood a great boost to know that some of the energy they are consuming is not going to be charged in their monthly bills. Now this couple is a showcase to innovative compromises for the betterment of society and themselves.

Source