Friendly Wager: Mayors Bet on Solar in Vienna, Fairfax City and Falls Church

PHOTO: Susan Stillman, a Vienna resident and chair of Vienna’s Community Enhancement Commission, poses with her Dominion Power bill: $0; photo courtesy of Town of Vienna

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The mayors of Vienna, City of Fairfax, and City of Falls Church believe so strongly in the solar energy option and free home energy check-ups being offered through May 15 through the Solarize NOVA program that they’ve put dinner on the line, according to a news release.

The mayor and Council of the winning community, to be determined by number of home energy sign-ups in each community (with handicaps figured in for population size and number of years in program) will host a dinner and sustainability conversation with the mayors and councilmembers of the other two communities, who will pick up the tab.

Vienna came out on top last year in a head-to-head friendly competition with Falls Church, with 289 sign-ups for home energy check-ups (and nine homes installing solar energy systems).

Vienna

• As of this past Friday, though, Vienna was in third place with 37 sign-ups

Fairfax City

• City of Fairfax, which is participating in the Solarize program for the first time, has 121

City of Falls Church

• City of Falls Church has 50, according to the Northern Virginia Regional Commission.

“We have a fairly new Energy Star home, but we still picked up some straightforward and simple tips that helped us improve the efficiency of our HVAC system,” says Community Enhancement Commission member Tara Ruszkowski, who had a home check-up last year. “The contractor even climbed into our attic to measure our insulation against the Energy Star standard. Learning we had the right amount gave me peace of mind. I’d recommend this free opportunity to anyone, regardless of the age of their home. In addition to the solid advice from an energy expert, you get nice freebies including CFL bulbs, power strips, and pipe insulation. It’s a no-brainer!”

How to sign up

Vienna: To sign up for a home energy check-up or solar site assessment, visit solarizevienna.org.

Falls Church: Sign up here if you live in the City of Falls Church.

Fairfax City: Sign up here if you live in Fairfax City.

Solarize NOVA is sponsored by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and Local Energy Alliance Program.