Solar energy makes up less than 1% of Kentucky's power grid.

Still, thousands of Kentuckians harness the sun's rays to power their own homes.

And as Kentucky Edition's June Lefler reports, local campaigns are underway to introduce more homeowners to the rooftops.

Solar market When it comes to saving the planet, Kim Roper says every little bit helps.

Recycling and everything you do, I think, helps in the grand scheme of things.

So all you can do is what you can control in your little section of the world.

The same goes for saving money, especially on energy bills.

You know, we don't keep it really cold in the, you know, like some people do in the summer and real hot in the winter.

We're conservative on all that.

But I mean, every little bit helps.

That's why Roper and other Louisville homeowners are interested in installing solar panels on their roofs.

It's an investment that over time slashes home utility costs.

Typically, it's going to take about ten years to pay itself off, and then everything's guaranteed for 25 years.

So we're looking at how much money is saved from year 10 to 25 after it's paid off.

A lot of times that number is well over $100,000.

Nick Hartnett is a solar panel installer.

He stands to gain customers, but he's realistic about solar too.

The numbers don't work out as well here as other places.

You know, energy is is pretty cheap here.

Nationwide, this is one of the cheaper places for energy.

And then obviously, we're not getting as much sun on a yearly basis as out west.

So it's just really important that because our energy is cheaper and because we get less sun, it's important that people see accurate information.

Hartnett is a part of a campaign led by the Kentucky Solar Energy Society to answer homeowners questions about solar before they commit.

Solar rise campaigns are underway in more than a dozen Kentucky counties in partnership with local governments.

Louisville was the first to participate.

It breaks down what would otherwise be an intimidating process and makes it really easy for the average person to to follow and get solar.

It connects you with an installer you can trust.

About 180 Jefferson County homeowners have purchased solar panels through the solar rise Louisville campaign, which offers customers a discount they wouldn't get on their own.

Around 15 to 20% off.

We put together a request or a proposal, put it out across Kentucky and all the surrounding states to basically paint installers in the nicest possible way against each other and say if you win and we are able to serve these counties, what can you do for us?

The Solar Eyes campaign select installers that offer a good deal and a good track record.

We're certainly hearing from people about companies that are knocking on their doors and kind of trying to pressure them into signing a very expensive contract in the short time frame.

I mean, we need people to be wary of the scammers, but we don't want them to be wary of solar in general.

So this is a great way for them to have that peace of mind because we go through such a rigorous vetting process.

The city of Louisville has goals to run city operations with clean energy by 2035 and power the entire Louisville community by 2040.

And the city says every homeowner that goes solar helps them reach their goals.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Jean June.

Thank you.

June.

The deadline to sign up for solar discounts in your area is approaching.

To find out more, you can visit the Kentucky Solar Energy Society's website.

K y scc dot o rg.