Quick Stats:

System Size: 9 kW

Installation Type: SunPower Equinox® + SunVault™ Storage

Est. Total Lifetime Savings: $24,399

Est. Electricity Offset: 84%

Est. Total CO2 Offset over the life of the system: 132 metric tons (equivalent to the emissions from 28.4 cars driven for one year)

All in for the Environment

Climate science is a tough career in today's world. There is so much data to analyze, and the future can be daunting to predict.

As CEO and head scientist for ATMOS, a scientific research and consulting firm that studies climate change, Anne Stoner, PhD., is well aware that addressing climate change is a big priority.

"Being a climate scientist, I know firsthand how much damage we are doing to our planet by continuing to burn fossil fuels," said Dr. Stoner.

Dr. Stoner specializes in analyzing the changes to climate that have already been observed and communicating possible future impacts in a way that is relevant and accessible to everyday people. Using clean energy was something that immediately came to mind for her house. She was interested in solar for the environmental benefits but wanted to make sure the panels she chose also met her standards for sustainability.

"The main reason we decided to go solar was due to environmental concerns and wanting to do something substantial toward combating climate change," she explains. "My husband and I had decided to purchase an electric car but felt that for it to really make an impact, the first step should be getting solar panels so we can charge the car with electricity generated at our own house from renewable sources."

Sustainable Solar

The team at Legacy Solar provided Dr. Stoner with information about SunPower's long-standing leadership in sustainability. Learning that SunPower panels are made from ethically sourced materials and have a high recyclable rate gave Dr. Stoner the peace of mind to feel she was making the right choice.

"We researched different brands of solar panels and found SunPower to be a top contender with respect to quality, efficiency, and cost," she notes.

The SunPower Equinox system with SunVault Storage is expected to offset up to 84% of the electricity the home uses, removing approximately 132 metric tons of CO2 from the air over the system's life. That's equivalent to the greenhouse gas emitted from 28.4 gas-powered vehicles driven for a full year.1

Savings You Can See

In addition to the environmental savings, the system is expected to save $24,399 in electricity costs over the life of the system.

By including energy storage, Dr. Stoner and her husband can have even greater energy independence, since they can store excess energy for use when the sun is down or choose to send more clean energy to the grid.

All of this data is available on the mySunPower® app, which Dr. Stoner found particularly useful.

"The SunPower app makes it fun to follow along with how much energy we are producing compared to how much we are using, as well as seeing the comparative amount of CO2 we are NOT adding to the atmosphere," she adds.

As a climate scientist, Dr. Stoner appreciates this kind of transparency, and found the whole experience of installing solar with Legacy very positive.

"We only have positive things to say about the whole process of going solar and how rewarding it is to know we are actively doing something that mitigates climate change," Dr. Stoner said.

Homeowners don't have to be a scientist to choose an award-winning SunPower dealer like Legacy. For its aesthetics, quality, and performance, this Legacy project was recognized with a 2021 SunPower Intelegant award.

1Calculation made through EPA's Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.