Four roofs, one co-op, and what it taught us
How Riverside’s tenants went from a meeting in a laundry room to owning their power.
The first meeting had eleven people and a folding table. The question was simple: why do we pay so much for power we have no say in?
Who leads
The tenants set the goals: lower bills, local jobs, and ownership. Our job was to bring an engineer, a lawyer who knows co-ops, and the funding.
What we learned
- Ownership matters more than the panels. People protect what they own.
- Hire local. Two of the installers live in the buildings.
- Report early and often. Donors and neighbors both want to see the progress.