Solar Panels Help Local Low-Income Families Save Loads On Energy Bills

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — College students from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are spending their spring breaks in Los Angeles installing solar panels for low-income families across the Southland.

The students are working for the largest nonprofit solar installer called Grid Alternatives.

"It's cool to learn about photovoltaics and solar energy in the classroom, but then to actually come out here and install and then finally placing them out on the roof is really cool," student Marisa Scavo said.

The cool part of this project is seeing how homeowners like Maria Gonzalez benefit from this program.

Twenty-two panels are being installed on Gonzalez's roof through state rebates and funds.

"I didn't believe it!" Gonzalez said.

Grid Alternatives helps low-income families like Gonzalez's get these panels on their roofs at no cost.

Once these solar panels are installed, the homeowner in about a month will start to see her meter go the other way.

And for Maria, that means saving nearly $300 a month, money she says she can now set aside for other things.

This year, Grid Alternatives says its goal is to have 260 solar-power systems installed in the greater Los Angeles area, including in Ventura and Orange counties.