Kirsten and Scott have turned their home into a working model of sustainability by instituting a number of sustainability measures to offset their environmental footprint.

For Kirsten and Scott, the switch to solar was more 'when' than 'if': already utilizing a solar hot water system, and recently having purchased a Chevy Bolt electric vehicle, they knew it was only a matter of time until they went forward with a solar energy system.

"We've gradually been upgrading our residential systems to get as much of our energy from the sun as possible. With solar electricity, solar hot water, and a Chevy Bolt, now we can say we're driving off the sun as well as heating water for our coffee."

Already enthusiastic about their future with solar energy, potential changes to solar rate structuring on the horizon pushed Kirsten and Scott over the edge to move ahead sooner rather than later, installing a 2.76kW system - comprised of 8 SunPower modules, on their rooftop.  

"As someone in the legislature who really cares about our Tucson community, solar energy is great for jobs and it’s great for our environment."

Upon activation of their solar energy system, Kirsten and Scott immediately offset over 400kW of their monthly energy consumption with cleanly generated power from the sun. Annually, their solar energy system will offset over 11,000 lbs of CO2, 2,500 gallons of water, and 12,000 miles driven by gas-powered vehicles. 

For others considering making the switch to solar, Kirsten advises: "Solar energy is good for the planet and good for our economy. We're so excited to have our own system on our house. We wish we had done it sooner!"