On Wednesday night, Southern Tier Solar Works held its final workshop on bringing solar energy to the region. For the past few months, Southern Tier Solar Works has held meetings for the public at locations across Tioga and Broome counties, looking to educate people on solar energy, as well as give them an opportunity to sign up to have solar panels installed on their properties. The idea behind the program is that the more panels ordered, the cheaper each panel will be, saving consumers money as they look to convert to solar energy, a process which can be pricey. Panels can cost close to $20,000 to install at a home, an investment which can be paid off usually in about 15 to 20 years. After that, consumers would essentially be receiving free electricity. Southern Tier Solar Works held its final workshop last night in the Town of Maine. The organization hopes to have 60 to 70 homes in the region with solar panels by the end of the summer.
