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Climate Now Episode 110

August 21, 2023

Building Solar Neighborhoods

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Featured Experts

Anya Schoolman
Executive Director, Solar United Neighbors

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Anya Schoolman

Executive Director, Solar United Neighbors

Anya has worked for decades on environmental projects and policy up and down the Western Hemisphere. This work has helped her grapple with the issue of sustainable development and how to make complex issues relevant to the community. Solar United Neighbors got its start when her son Walter asked, “Mom, can we go solar?” In her role as Executive Director, Anya has been instrumental in the passage of landmark solar legislation and regulation. In April 2014, the White House selected Anya as one of 10 White House Champions of Change for Solar Deployment for her groundbreaking work to deploy solar in the National Capital Region.

In this Episode

There are over 8 billion square meters of rooftops in the US that are viable for solar energy generation, and could produce as much as 40% of national energy needs. And yet, only 8% of US households have installed rooftop solar panels. With so much available space, and with the average cost of energy from solar much lower than the cost of energy from the grid, why aren’t more homeowners installing solar?

Climate Now sat down with Solar United Neighbors Executive Director Anya Schoolman to discuss how upfront costs and legacy business models for utility companies have slowed the adoption of residential solar, and how Solar United Neighbors is working to help homeowners, businesses, communities and even entire cities overcome some of those barriers and go solar.

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