Your rooftop can be a powerful place

Published 1:30 am Friday, May 8, 2026

It can be a struggle making sense of the world right now. War in the Middle East and Ukraine; crazy weather; partisan politics; climbing household costs; the threat of AI. The list goes on and on.

And yet, sometimes the hyperlocal can be an unexpected source of optimism. Something small but good — something that feels, well, stubborn — is happening on Bainbridge. All you have to do is drive down our streets — Madison, Sportsman, Wyatt — and look up. You’ll see the future on rooftops: solar panels glinting on homes, schools, churches, and community buildings. The island’s solar movement is entering a new phase. If you haven’t been part of it, this is a good time to jump in.

Based on numbers shared by Puget Sound Energy, we had exactly one solar installation on Bainbridge in 2005. Today, there are more than 500 — about 5% of our structures and approximately 2% of the island’s energy. That is at once modest and significant. Our Climate Action Plan calls for our electricity to be carbon-free by 2040. The landmark studies the city received from the Department of Energy in 2023 make it plain that solar is the best way for Bainbridge to reach these goals and help residents save on energy bills. Getting there will require a lot more panels on a lot more roofs.

It is worth noting what our neighbors have already done. Woodward Middle School and the Bainbridge Public Library went solar in 2025. Bethany Lutheran recently completed a grant-funded solar and battery installation that now powers the church and its preschool. Saint Barnabas Church is installing 127 panels. Racks for a solar array are already on the roof of the new Helpline House. These efforts join the solar at places such as City Hall, the Grow Community and The Walk. Many of these projects were funded through Washington State’s Clean Energy Community Grant program — a path that remains open to other nonprofits and community organizations.

For homeowners, there is also real momentum. The city has partnered with Olympia Community Solar to launch Solarize Bainbridge, a community campaign running through July 31. The program vets installers, negotiates group pricing, and connects homeowners with free personalized assessments. Blossom Solar and Northwest Electric & Solar have been selected as the installers for the program. Workshops have drawn full houses at City Hall (more than 180 people have already signed up for assessments). The next one is Saturday, May 9, at 10 a.m. at Grace Episcopal. The vibe for these sessions is welcoming — no sales pressure, lots of information, plenty of time for questions. Sign up at SolarizeBainbridge.org.

Unfortunately, the federal 30% tax credit for residential solar expired at the end of 2025 — a real loss. But Washington State’s sales tax exemption on solar equipment remains in place through 2029, and PSE’s Flex Batteries program offers up to $1,500 in upfront incentives for homeowners who pair solar with a grid-connected battery. Mostly, though, it comes down to this: PSE’s electricity rates went up 12% in 2025 and rose by 6.3% in 2026. So, the case for generating your own power keeps getting stronger.

Another incentive worth noting: PSE is keeping its net metering program open to new applicants until a replacement rate structure is formally approved. That means homeowners who get panels on their roofs now are being grandfathered in under the favorable 1:1 credit arrangement. That window will not stay open forever.

The Bainbridge Solar Collective, a program of Sustainable Bainbridge, was recently launched to help islanders navigate all of this. We publish a monthly newsletter that highlights solar installations and connects residents with the information and resources they need to go solar. We are establishing a new solar ambassadors program, planning upcoming solar tours, and working with the city and PSE to streamline permitting processes. Learn more at bisolar.org.

We know for sure that bad headlines will keep coming. But there is good work we can do — stubborn work — on our rooftops, in our neighborhoods, on this island we share.

Kevin Thomas has been a member of the Bainbridge Island Climate Change Advisory Committee for the past three years and is currently its chair. He is also one of the founding members of the Bainbridge Solar Collective.