There's a new blog in Petworth called Green DC Living, designed to share great home renovation, energy and real estate information to help residents make smart decisions about their homes. Written by Petworth resident Roshani Kothari, Green DC Living will share tips and resources for greening homes.

Roshani is passionate about living green by conserving energy, reducing water use, composting and more. She is a licensed DC real estate agent with DCRE Residential and has the Green Designation through the National Association of REALTORS.

In the blog's first post, Roshani looks at tips for installing solar panels. She's even putting on an informational meeting at the Petworth Library on February 21st to help people learn more about their options.

To help get the word out about Roshani's new blog, here's the first half of her first article about installing solar panels for your home...

For many years I mulled over the idea of getting solar panels for my home in Petworth after checking out homes on the Solar Home Tour. I was inspired by these homeowners who I consider to be solar pioneers. By the way, mark your calendars, the 2017 tour will take place October 7th and 8th.

I was also inspired by Anya Schoolman who founded the Mt. Pleasant Solar Coop in 2007 and is now the Executive Director of the Community Power Network. She has been a great advocate for solar in DC. Check out the DC SUN (DC Solar United Neighborhoods website and join the DC SUN newsletter and listserv.

Pro Tip: Upcoming Solar Events
Check out the Manor Park Solar Co-op: “Co-op members can save up to 20% off the cost of going solar and will have the support of fellow co-op members as well as DC SUN throughout the process,” according to the DC SUN website. They have meetings coming up to help you understand your options -- and you don’t have to live in Manor Park to join. The co-op is a great option for saving money to get solar panels.

Anne Thiel, Manor Park resident (who also happens to be a Petworth News contributing writer), is considering joining the co-op. She said that she is interested in learning more about the overall costs and cost benefits involved in getting solar panels. One thing she is not sure about is the condition of her roof, which may need to be replaced before getting solar.

Join Robert Valette, Project Manager at Solar Solution LLC, and Roshani on February 21st for Tips on Getting Solar at the Petworth Library from 7:30-8:30 pm. RSVP for free >

Getting Started
I started researching different companies, and the different options for getting solar panels. Before getting panels, I had to make sure my roof was in good shape, and there was nothing shading the roof. Luckily the house is on a hill, so there are no trees shading the roof.

Map Your Roof’s Solar Potential
Put your address in Google’s Project Sunroof to see how usable sunlight you have per year, and how many square feet you have on your roof for panels based on 3D modeling of your roof and nearby trees. Here’s what I got when I put in my address...