By TIM ROWDEN
Associate Editor
THE HILL NEIGHBORHOOD – Zia’s on the Hill, a union friendly Italian restaurant that has all of its building work done by union contractors, recently had solar panels installed by IBEW Local 1 signatory contractor AVCO Electrical Services.
Not only will the solar panels help reduce his utility bills, Zia’s owner Dennis Chiodini said, having the 66 solar panels installed by qualified union electricians means he can have confidence in the work, and won’t have any unpleasant surprises down the line.
“It costs a little more, but it’s done right,” Chiodini said. “To me, it’s worth it. And the difference in price is not that much.”
There are also net savings from going solar. Ameren Missouri customers can receive a $2 per watt solar rebate for up to 25 kilowatts of solar generation. Find more information on the rebate program here: http://www.ameren.com/Solar/Pages/RebatesandFunds.aspx.
Solar is growing in popularity.
AVCO is currently performing 20-25 solar array installations a year, owner Alan Van Alstine said.
“We have as many as we can handle,” he said. “Ninety percent of our work is solar now.”