Watsonville family gets free solar panels installed

Cabrillo College students got a chance to help install free solar panels for a Watsonville family on Friday.

It is all part of the Project Sunshine program put on by Monterey Bay Community Power and GRID Alternatives. Both groups funded the installation of the panels themselves, while Cabrillo students who are in the school’s Solar Photovoltaic class helped put them up.

Families who qualify based on income get a chance to apply to get free ones. Organizers say 20 homes within the tri-county area are already going to get them installed.

It is expected these panels will save families about $25,000 in electricity costs during its 20-year life span.

“It’s awesome. I mean like I said, to save money nowadays is huge. I feel great about the program, it’s awesome that I have the students come out and help,” said Rob Bunter, the Watsonville resident who received the free panels on Friday.

“It’s always nice to get off the grid, get off the dependency on fossil fuels and paying other people money for something you can make in your own home,” said Kenny Murray, a Cabrillo College faculty member who teaches the Solar PV class.

Organizers are next stopping in Greenfield, Hollister and more locations in Watsonville.

Cabrillo College offers courses in solar-photovoltaic mechanics every spring.