As a newbie to the residential solar world, and exploring putting solar panels on our roof in Arlington, VA, I’ve quickly learned that it would be easier, and more lucrative, to put solar on a rooftop in Washington, DC (15 minutes from me) or Maryland (30 minutes from me), than in Virginia.  And, I'm embarassed at how Virginia rates poorly on environmental issues not only in the DMV, but in the entire country.  As my husband and I look toward retirement, we will be considering how environmentally-forward-thinking that retirement state is, and, currently, it is not Virginia.

I believe that climate change is coming, and whether or not you believe that, you can’t ignore the recent violent weather we have seen in hurricanes and flooding.  That plus possible future terrorism aimed at our infrastructure makes it obvious that we need a flexible, resilient energy grid.  Having rooftop ‘distributed’ solar, along with battery storage, could give us the flexibility and resilience we might need in a natural or man-made disaster.

The solar  industry generates jobs!  It gives us local, clean energy and allows people to lower their energy costs.  I would like to see solar energy made available to all people, including those who would like to support it, but can’t afford to put solar panels on their roofs.  Consumers should also be able to sell their excess energy freely and for fair value, which helps supply energy where and when it is needed.

Thank you for considering my views.

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