A group in Bemidji is recruiting families and businesses who want to make the switch to solar energy.

Solar United Neighbors held a public information meeting tonight. The non-profit’s goal is to make solar energy more mainstream, and they help by forming bulk purchase groups in communities so everyone participating can get one-on-one assistance in making the energy switch. They already have groups in the cities and thought Bemidji would be a good next step.

Virginia Rutter, the program director for Solar United Neighbors Of Minnesota, says “So, the Bemidji group is kind of brings a whole bunch of neighbors together. You get assistance understanding what the technology is, kind of walking through all the aspects of it, and then you get to have good pricing from our selected installer which is Wolf Track Energy. So, the group is open.”

It’s free to sign up for the solar co-op group. That way, participants can really determine if going solar is right for them. There are site assessments and the people in the group work with the installers directly to figure out pricing. Solar United Neighbors adds the panels are 25-year investment.

Rutter adds, “I think it’s a great time to go solar. The costs have come down a lot in the last five years but we’ve kind of hit the bottom of that trend, so I think the timing is good and with solar right now there’s a 30% tax credit, so you’ll get that the year following the installation and that’s based on the entire cost.”

The group is open for sign-ups through August 31st. You can find more information here.

By — Shirelle Moore