After months of hesitation, climate activist Lauren Bash made the leap to solar with the help of EnergySage, the online solar marketplace, as revealed in a recent interview.

Bash had already been considering the move to solar. It's one of the most effective ways to save money on your power bill while producing none of the planet-warming air pollution that comes from dirty energy sources.

"I live in Los Angeles, where we're really lucky to have sunny days the majority of the year," Bash told EnergySage. "It felt like an obvious choice that we should harness the power of the sun to power our home and essentially be like a generator for our community."

What prompted her to act now were two factors. First, the Inflation Reduction Act offers a 30% rebate to Americans who install qualifying green upgrades like solar panels and battery storage — but those incentives will no longer be available past the end of the year. That doesn't just mean that you need to start by the end of the year; the project needs to be done.

"It's definitely not a 'wait till the last minute on Dec. 31, find your installer' situation," said Bash. "I feel even a four- or five-month leeway is probably best."

Second, Bash was spurred to action when her gas company discovered two leaks outside her home during what was supposed to be a routine hookup.

"It was going to cost $12,000 to $15,000 just to repair the gas pipes," Bash said. "I'm really fortunate to have a lot of friends in the community who work in decarbonization, and they were like, 'Gas appliances will be obsolete in LA eventually; this is just the encouragement and the time you needed to electrify.'"

So Bash moved ahead with electrifying her home, first replacing her gas appliances and then installing solar. Initially, she was receiving unwanted calls from installers, but after she started working with EnergySage, the organization provided a buffer between her and the sales pitches.

"It was so nice because it's essentially like a shield between all the installers — they have to go through EnergySage to access you," said Bash.

EnergySage offers free online tools to help you find quotes from vetted local installers and compare offers. Its convenient mapping tool also outlines the price of solar by state and the incentives available in your area to help you save up to $10,000 on average. 

Should the government provide incentives to buy EVs? Absolutely 💯 Depends on the incentives 💰 Depends on if it's federal or states 🇺🇲 Absolutely not 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

And the company's quote comparison tools extend beyond solar projects. For people interested in saving money by upgrading their inefficient HVACs to heat pumps, EnergySage also lets you compare quotes from trusted installers, making it easy to find the right model for your home.

Bash was proud to go solar. "We're even making a cute little sign for our fence that says 'this house is fossil-fuel-free' because we're truly off of gas," she said.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.