Mary Martinez always wanted solar panels on her home to help with her electric bill, but she could never afford them.
But thanks to the nonprofit organization Grid Alternatives and a partnership with the city of Denver, Martinez’s Cole neighborhood home is getting solar panels at no cost to her.
Workers and volunteers with Grid Colorado and the city’s Department of Environmental Health worked Thursday and Friday to prepare and install 11 solar panels on Martinez’s home at 3758 High St.
The panels can offset nearly 75 percent of energy costs and save a homeowner between $15,000-$25,000 over 30 years.
“All of our Xcel Energy clients benefit from the net metering program,” said Kristina Sickles, development director for Grid Colorado. “They get full credit back for electricity that’s generated. Anything don’t use, they get back over time.”
Martinez shares the home with her husband and three teenage children and said her electric bill can range anywhere between $100-$150 per month in the summer. Anything to reduce that will help, she said.
“My kids use a lot of electricity — they don’t like to turn off TV or the lights,” she said.
Grid Alternatives has been set up in Colorado for the past two years and has installed 44 systems in the state over that time.
Homeowners can qualify if they make less than 80 percent of the area median income. Martinez’s family is at 30 percent. The nonprofit meets with families who express interest, and — if they qualify financially and the house is compatible with solar — the panels are installed.
Families are asked to give back 16 hours of “sweat equity,” helping volunteers and workers to install the panels.
Homeowners also must pitch in 2 cents per kilowatt hour, which Sickles said comes out to about $25 per quarter, but they don’t have to pay anything back should they move or sell the house.
“It’s more of a hand up rather than a hand out,” Sickles said of the program.
Martinez’s home represents the first partnership between Grid and the Department of Environmental Health, which sponsored the build and provided volunteers. The city allocated $10,000 in a grant to work with Grid, some of which was used on the Martinez house.
“It’s an important issue for us,” said Liz Babcock, manager of air, water and climate for Environmental Health. “Solar is such a key area to meet our climate and energy goals.”
Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joe_vacc
