Through Solar Mosaic, Oakland is Reducing Emissions, Creating Green Jobs, and Building Community (Video)
graphic via sungevity
Check out this amazing project getting off the ground in my hometown of Oakland, CA. The city is selling 5,000 solar tiles at $100 each to locals, and the panels will be installed on the rooftops of youth centers and schools in the community. Even better, the solar panels will be mounted by workers hired and trained in Oakland. The program is called Solar Mosaic, and it represents a new form of crowdfunded renewable energy installations. Our community, where 17.5 percent of people live under the poverty line, will get the win-win-win of employing locals to reduce our emissions while beautifying our community.
Oakland's Energy and Climate Action Plan requires the city to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 36 percent below 2005 levels within 10 years. The city has a goal of reducing emissions 85 percent of 2005 levels by 2050.
Sweetening the Solar Mosaic deal is an anonymous gift of $250,000 for the project. Oakland's Sungevity, made famous by joining with 350.org to help get the White House to "put solar on it", will help with the design and installation of the solar panels.
From the Solar Mosaic website:
For each $100 Solar Mosaic Tile purchased in Oakland Solar Mosaic project, the following will happen:
-Over 50 watts of clean, beautiful solar power will be installed
-An Oakland non-profit, school, or community center will save over $125 on their utility bills
-Another $150 of community solar will be purchased with project proceeds. Solar funding solar
-Nearly a TON of coal can be left in the ground, where it belongs
-Local green jobs will be created
-You'll get paid back!