By Melissa Segrest

As if to prove a point, Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative’s fourth annual Solar Day was hot and sunny – the perfect day to generate electricity from solar panels. More than 150 Bluebonnet members, employees, area residents and solar installers participated in the event, co-sponsored by the Texas Solar Energy Society and Solar Austin, on Saturday, Sept. 14, at the co-op’s Brenham Service Center on Longwood Drive. 

The four-hour event, broken out into two sessions, was packed with information for curious homeowners with a lot of questions about home solar arrays. Micah Jasuta, a member of the nonprofit Texas Solar Energy Society, provided a detailed presentation during each session, answering attendees’ questions about how solar works, installation and more. 

Bluebonnet members Judy Dickson, Margaret and Joel Shannon, and John Gardner were available to answer questions about their experience, expenses and the effectiveness of their systems. 

Bluebonnet continues to see an increase in members installing solar panels on their homes and businesses. In 2019, on average, the cooperative connects one new solar member to its grid each day. By the end of 2019, the cooperative expects to have 1,045 renewable energy systems connected to its grid. With federal tax credits, which are expected to be phased out in the next few years, and the declining cost of solar panels, some can recoup the cost of their investment in less than 15 years. 

Attendees could also visit with solar installers, who were hosted by the Texas Solar Energy Society. 

Bluebonnet’s nearby Eco Home gets a portion of its power from a 5-kilowatt solar array, a wind turbine, and underground geothermal heating and cooling system. You can find Jasuta’s presentation, along with more information about harnessing the sun’s power, at bluebonnet.coop.