Jackie Conover, Community Solar, New Jersey

Jackie Conover lives in New Jersey and uses community solar through Solar Landscape to power her condo.

Why did you decide to utilize clean energy? I got things in the mail from different green energy companies, and I ignored them because I always thought it was a scam. And then finally I sat down with Solar Landscape and the fact that they weren't trying to talk me into putting solar panels on my house — because I don't I don't live in a house anymore, I live in a condominium — made me pay attention to it a little bit more. When I picked up on on the fact that they were going to be utilizing commercial and industrial rooftops for community solar panels, that was wildly appealing to me.

What was the transition to clean energy like for you? Did anything surprise you, or were there challenges you had to overcome? How hard it is to get people to pay attention to it and do it. There's so much misinformation. People are afraid, they think they're going to get scammed and I think that that is misinformation. Fear of scamming is probably one of the biggest drawbacks and it makes it extremely difficult to persuade people to consider community solar programs.

What advice do you have for people considering taking the leap to clean energy? I just think it's a matter of educating people. I think people see solar and their eyes glaze over, especially if they live in an apartment or condo. The idea that you're participating in a collective effort to improve our energy grid is really appealing.

How has using clean energy affected your finances? There aren't any upfront costs [for community solar]. It costs you absolutely nothing to participate in a collective like this, you just simply sign up for it. I pay two separate bills, that might be one drawback for some people maybe.

This story was collected with the help of our partners at Solar Landscape. For more information about community solar, visit their website.