Joe and Teresa Tortomasi turned their home in Sierra Madre, California, into a bright spot in the neighborhood by installing solar panels and battery storage on the roof, LAist reported.
Their journey to clean energy began with a practical need. Living in an area where power outages were common, the retired teachers were tired of being without power during heat waves. After nearly 40 years in their mountain-adjacent home, they noticed that outages became more frequent as temperatures rose.
“[Thirty] “Years ago it wasn’t like that,” Teresa said. “When we had that terrible weather a few weeks ago, we were the only ones in our little corner of the canyon that still had power.”
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Tortomasis' solar and battery system addresses two key challenges: unreliable power supply and rising energy costs. Your system stores additional solar energy during the day for use at night, creating a self-sufficient home that stays powered even if the grid goes down.
Thanks to the excess electricity they sell back to the grid, the couple are now enjoying negative electricity bills. During recent outages, they became a neighborhood refuge, inviting neighbors to cool off. The system proved invaluable this summer as nighttime temperatures reached 85 degrees and required constant air conditioning.
“We don’t have to pay electric bills,” Joe said. The setup not only saves you money, but also gives you peace of mind. “We feel safer,” he added.
Teresa agreed: “I don't have the stress of constantly worrying about the power going out.”
Switching to solar energy is one of the smartest ways to reduce home energy costs while supporting a cleaner future. Free tools from sites like EnergySage make it easy to get solar installation estimates and compare quotes from certified installers in your area.
The Tortomasis' house can't just keep the lights on now. It helps stabilize the entire power grid. Their battery system connects nearly 3,000 other homes in a “virtual power plant” that utilities can use during peak demand to reduce the load on the electrical system.
“We can really see the difference,” Teresa said. “All our neighbors are always talking to each other, so we started getting text messages saying, '[D]o have you power? Do you have power?' And we just told everyone, 'If you need anything, just come here because we have power.'”
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