SAN ANTONIO – An East Side San Antonio woman is spreading the word about a program where energy customers can benefit from solar panels even if they don’t have a roof to put them on.
- Program is for CPS Energy customers
- Allows participants to purchase solar panels
- Panels are put on carports in commercial lots across town
Rachel Cywinski does a lot to try and live green, including driving an electric car around town. But her dream of putting solar panels on her home didn’t really seem feasible.
"This tree is valued at $80,000," said Cywinski. “Really to me it’s more valuable than the house.”
The huge trees in her yard don’t allow much sun to reach her rooftop, so solar power appeared to be out of the question. At least that's what she thought.
Her home is now solar powered thanks to a program not many people have heard of. She owns solar panels, but they’re nowhere near her property.
The panels are about 20 minutes away sitting on top of a carport. The set-up is part of a CPS Energy program called Big Sun.
"I can be using solar energy and still have the shade," she said.
It's designed to give everyone a chance to use solar even if they don't own their property or it’s covered in shade.
“We've heard from customers who rent an apartment or maybe they're a little bit later in life and don't want a huge commitment to panels on their roof," said Rick Luna of CPS Energy.
The solution for those people are carports topped with solar panels that are now going up in business parking lots.
The program is thanks to a partnership between CPS Energy and a group called Go Smart Solar.
Each solar panel costs about $800. Customers earn credits on their energy bill as long as their panels keep generating power, about 25 years.
CPS Energy says how much an energy bill is reduced because of the panels varies from person to person but the panels do eventually pay for themselves.
Right now about 600 customers are signed up for the program and people like Cywinski pay for the panels and reap the benefits.
"I think we really have a responsibility not to leave our home in worse shape than when we received it," she said.
This program, Cywinski says, is another opportunity to practice what she preaches.