Before Robert Stewart and Hannah Morini put a new coat of paint on the clapboards of their 1890 farmhouse in South Kingstown, they installed solar panels on the roof. Some homeowners might balk at the mid-$20,000 cost of a solar installation — on top of the purchase price of a house — but Morini, who has worked in the renewable energy business since 2009, didn’t hesitate.
“I signed a contract as soon as I could,” Morini says. “My power bill gets reduced, I get a check from National Grid and I have a loan payment. Every month, I tally up my benefits and expense, and every month, I’m saving money. It’s an easy thing we can do to help the environment, local businesses and save real money.”