Case Studies

National Outdoor Leadership School
The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) has long been dedicated to sustainable practices and maintaining their natural environment. In light of this, they commissioned TFS to install a 19.7 kW system for the school which will cover almost all of their electricity usage. The system will also become part of their teaching material to students and [...]

Montgomery & Associates
The Montgomery & Associates lawyer firm chose to install solar energy to provide electricity for their Tucson office because utilizing renewable energy is important to them and because the investment would ultimately help them save money. The incentives offered by tax credits and TEP also made the investment very attractive. The Montgomery & Associates solar [...]

Casa Maria Soup Kitchen
The Casa Maria Soup Kitchen won Technicians for Sustainability’s solar grant for 2011 and received a 3.87 kW solar electric (photovoltaic) system. The system saves the soup kitchen over $70 a month which allows them to reallocate those funds towards offering more services and providing food to more people. The organization was chosen to receive [...]

Our Mother of Sorrows
The Our Mother of Sorrows Parrish has served the Tucson community for many years. They strive to provide their parish with good examples by reaching out to those in need and through sharing faith and love with one another and God. Their dedication has led them to power their facility by the sun. Adding solar power [...]

Animal Health Hospital
Animal Health Hospital initially chose to install solar panels at their facility to reduce the business’ footprint, but their switch to solar made economic sense too. The system will produce 2,919 kWh per month, helping the hospital save $360 a month, in addition to offsetting 76,500 lbs of CO2 annually. “Having solar power has significantly [...]

Central Tucson Home
This happy lease customer is thrilled with his solar system. “TFS is an absolutely first rate company made up of dedicated individuals who care about sustainability and take pride in the craftsmanship of their work. They did a great job on the solar installation at my house and expedited the whole process of permitting, inspection, [...]

Southwest Tucson Residence
This family chose to install solar photovoltaic panels to become more green. They appreciated that everyone in the TFS office, field crew and outside contractors did their best to make sure the family was satisfied. They feel that the best part of their new system is the data monitoring component which allows them to check their [...]

Sam Hughes Residence
This family chose to install solar panels on their roof “because it is simply the right thing to do.” They think the TFS crew are nice, competent folk and think that the best thing about their system is that it works! At their home, this family also has 4,000 gallons of stored water and solar fans [...]

Bornstein Residence
“We have always believed that solar technology is vastly underused in the Tucson community.”

Meet Kate
Behind every great installation, there’s a good story — meet Kate Flax. Kate has turned her home into a working model of sustainability having installed a solar electric system, solar hot water and a significant water harvesting system, which includes two 620 gallon tanks and a 10,000 gallon underground concrete cistern, which feeds into her [...]

Meet the Trudinger-Smith Family
Behind every great installation, there’s a good story — meet the Trudinger-Smith family. Ash and Lisa Ann, along with their three children, have turned their central Tucson home into a working model of sustainability by installing a 4.73 kW solar electric (PV) system in January 2011. Their primary goal when deciding to install solar was [...]

Meet Mari and Jerry
Behind every great installation, there’s a good story — meet Mari and Jerry. Mari Sorri and Jerry Gill installed a 3 kW solar electric (PV) system on their home located in Vail, in 2009. After moving from Oro Valley, they purchased a plot of land and built their home. To these self proclaimed “Earth lovers,” [...]

Meet Mohyeddin
Behind every great installation, there’s a good story — meet Mohyeddin. Mohyeddin Abdulaziz has turned his home into a working model of sustainability by installing solar electric and solar hot water systems as well as rainwater harvesting cisterns. He is no stranger to renewable energy systems, having installed solar hot water during the Reagan administration. [...]

Meet Bill and Linnea
Behind every great installation, there’s a good story — meet Bill and Linnea. After several years of considering the costs and benefits of solar, Bill and Linnea Boaz, whose background is in finance, installed a solar electric (PV) system in October 2009. The tax credits and utility rebate made it financially viable for these SaddleBrooke residents to [...]

Meet Leona
Behind every great installation, there’s a good story — meet Leona. Leona Davis has turned her home into a working model of sustainability by installing a solar electric (PV) system as well as a water harvesting system. Leona’s background is in plants, the environment and water, which she puts into action in her position at [...]

Fernandez Residence
For this family, teaching their children by example how to use the natural resources available was very important, and so going solar “just made sense.”

Central Tucson Residence
This Tucson family decided to have solar photovoltaic panels installed on their roof for environmental and sustainability reasons.

Casas Adobe Residence
This family decided to install a ground mounted solar array to cover the costs of an all-electric home.

Vail Residence
This family in Vail, Arizona decided to install a solar hot water system because they have been thinking ‘green.’

Vail Residence
This southern Arizonan family chose to install a PV solar system because they wanted to go green.

Global Community Communications Alliance Solar Array
The Global Community Communications Alliance chose to install a photovoltaic solar array in order to save energy, reduce pollution and become a more viable example of sustainable principles in action.

Oro Valley Residence
This family decided to install a photovoltaic electric solar system and a solar hot water collector and heater in order to take advantage of all the sun energy available in Tucson.

Oro Valley Residence
This family decided to install a photovoltaic electric solar system and a solar hot water collector and heater in order to take advantage of all the sun energy available in Tucson.

Green Residence
The Green family had their solar electric photovoltaic panels installed for the guilt-free electricity and to save money.

West Tucson Residence
This family chose to install an electric solar system in order to save on their electricity bill and to create a more sustainable lifestyle.

West Tucson Residence
This homeowner chose to install a solar hot water system to save money and to “find a green solution.”

West Tucson Residence
For this family, the best part of their new system is the reliability of the hot water

Lakeside Ridge Loop Residence
This residence wanted to go solar because they believe it’s the smart and sustainable choice. They are pleased to be able to use the sun’s renewable energy for their newly installed solar hot water system. They are happy to take advantage of the many sunny days that occur here in Tucson. Throughout the installation process, this family was [...]

North Tucson Residence
These North Tucson residents chose to install a system with TFS, because they wanted to “go green” and the tax credits help make it financially feasible. The homeowners said working with the TFS solar hot water crew was “superb and a real pleasure” — in fact, so much so that they wished there was more work for [...]

Tucson Racquet Club
The Tucson Racquet Club is proud to be the new owner of a solar hot water system. As a local Tucson business, the racquet club recognizes their responsibility to be a leader in the environmental arena. Their goal in installing a solar hot water system was to do something positive for the environment, and for their bottom line. They said [...]

East Tucson Residence
This family has been working to continually minimize their carbon footprint. They have already been benefitting from their solar hot water and rainwater harvesting systems, so installing a solar electric system was a natural step for these homeowners. They enjoy watching the numbers on their meter go backwards. They are happy with the TFS staff’s professionalism and friendly attitudes. These homeowners [...]

Cook Residence
This homeowner was excited to install solar hot water on her roof because they’ve “gotta go green!” They loved the friendly TFS staff and even went so far as to say that working with Technicians for Sustainability is like working with family. The Cooks think that the best thing about the system is the money [...]

Sonora Co-Housing Residence
These homeowners love the smaller footprint that their photovoltaic solar system provides them

Antigone Books
Antigone Books, located on Tucson’s historic 4th Avenue, has become the first bookstore in the country to get 100% of their electricity from solar power. Antigone Books joins only two other businesses in Southern Arizona, in the notable claim of being a 100% solar powered business. Interestingly, all three of these businesses are located on [...]

Gallegos Residence
The Gallegos household decided to install a PV system a couple years back, and have continued to recently add on.

Canfield Residence
Mr. Canfield’s son recommended installing a solar electric (PV) system as a way to save energy. Ultimately, the Canfield family decided to install a PV system for the financial savings. The Canfields chose TFS to install their system because of TFS’s reputation for helping the Tucson community. They love the looking at the data monitoring [...]

Schaefer NW Tucson Residence
Wil Schaefer and Mai Ho are fully aware of the environmental issues that have become problematic in this recent day and age. They believe that each human is capable of making a difference. These Tucson homeowners felt that installing PV is a personal change they could make that would push for a healthier planet. They [...]

Clingaman/Embry Residence
Richard Clingaman and Dennis Embry both felt passionate about taking personal steps to combat global warming. They have taken big strides to insure that their home a working model of sustainability, by installing low-e glass windows, Heatstop Acrylic Skylights, and replacing their air conditioner and furnace with a new energy efficient model. Furthermore, Richard and [...]

Southeast Residence
This Southeast Tucson family’s strong environmental values and a desire to reduce their utility expenses were the two primary motivators for installing a solar electric (PV) system.

Midtown Residence
This household wanted their money to match their values, and buying a solar electric system proved just that.

Vail Residence
This family decided it best to switch to a pv system when they realized that they wanted to lower their carbon footprint

East Tucson Residence
These East Tucson residents decided to purchase a photovoltaic system because of their growing concern with issues pertaining to environmental sustainability.

East Central Residence
This household chose to get a solar hot water system installed, because they realized that our planet’s resources are finite.

Fritz-Southern Residence
With the current credits and rebates that are available, the Fritz-Southern family knew it was the perfect time to make the switch to solar. This household strives to live within a small environmental footprint, and installing a solar electric system fit nicely with this goal. They were pleased to have all their questions answered, and [...]

Central Tucson Residence
This Central Tucson family chose to install their PV solar panels for both environmental and fiscal reasons.






