Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.
Issue link: https://wellesleywestonmagazine.epubxp.com/i/819093
the residential neighborhood on Benvenue Street, sourced 100 percent of their electricity from the MLP's voluntary renewable energy program. Although they had been working hard toward solar energy for several years, they were inspired by the call-to-action on climate change delivered at the Friends 2016 Annual Meeting: "We all live on this planet and are all complicit in altering its climate. It is incumbent upon every Friend and every Friends Meeting to discover how God is leading us to do our part to reverse this great threat." The Wellesley Friends decided to go solar immediately and leave more renewable energy on the grid for others to use. Great Sky Solar, a worker-owned cooperative and "social benefit corporation," installed 36 solar panels for the Friends. The Wellesley Friends estimate that 73 percent of their electrical bill will be covered by solar energy; the rest will continue to be sourced from hydroelectric, wind, and solar energy through the MLP. "stomach the thought of more disruption." In hindsight, Jessica acknowl- edges that the disruption was minimal, and, therefore, counsels fellow homeowners, "If you are considering solar: do it as soon as you can. It's honestly one of the easiest home improvement projects. There is virtu- ally no downside other than the up-front costs. You get a 30 percent tax credit on your federal tax bill the year you install, and you begin offset- ting your electric costs immediately. And, it's a great feeling to know you are helping to create an energy grid that doesn't rely on fossil fuels." Before installing solar panels and connecting to the Wellesley power grid in December 2016, Wellesley Friends Meeting, located in Installing solar panels is a relatively easy home improve- ment project, and homeowners receive a tax credit and immediate savings on electric bills Famed entrepreneur Elon Musk officially changed the name of his company from "Tesla Motors" to "Tesla, Inc." early in 2017, signaling the strategic shift to an energy company committed to making intermittent renewable energy from the sun more reliable and affordable than traditional fossil fuels. Musk's new brand extends beyond cars to solar panels and commercial and residential energy-storage systems. S T E V A N Z Z / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M Good News for Solar Enthusiasts 132 W e l l e s l e y W e s t o n M a g a z i n e | s u m m e r 2 0 1 7 Harnessing the Power of the Sun