Solar Education Programs

As part of our mission, we believe we have a social responsibility to educate our fellow community members about solar energy and the importance of employing renewable resources. We are always willing to speak with local groups about sustainability and solar power.

Solar Open House

We understand and appreciate that each of our customers serve as an inspiration to their community by doing their part in creating a sustainable future.  Often, our customers  find that neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers are curious about how their new solar PV system works, the cost, current financial incentives, environmental benefits, etc.

In conjunction with our community outreach, TFS will arrange a fun and informative Open House where we will feature your system and explain the “ins and outs” of solar energy. Simply invite your guests, and TFS will provide a "Solar For Homeowners" presentation, a tour of your system, refreshments, and personalized Q & A.  If you would like more information, contact our community outreach coordinator, Tiernay Marsh, at (520)740-0736 or tiernay@tfssolar.com.

Solar Energy 101

We've created a one-hour grassroots education program to inform our fellow community members about solar technology and sustainability. The focus of this program is to inform consumers about the facts of residential solar energy.

The program features free educational presentations, web resources, and targeted information to assist homeowners in making decisions about investing in a solar energy system. If you are interested in having TFS as a guest speaker, contact our community outreach coordinator, Tiernay Marsh, at (520)740-0736 or tiernay@tfssolar.com.

Referral Program

Solar provides enormous benefits for the environment and your wallet, but it’s also great for our community. Do you know someone who is interested in going solar? Each time you send us a referral that results in a new TFS customer, we’ll make a $100 donation, in your name, to your favorite local non-profit (must be registered as a 501c3).

Do you have a referral? Click here to fill out our customer referral form.

For a brief listing of local non-profits working hard to make Southern Arizona a great place to live, please click here.

Photo Journal: Culvert Cistern Installation

Below is a photo journal of a culvert cistern installation completed by the TFS water harvesting crew. The full installation took place over two days, one week apart.

Day 1

	TFS crew arrives on site, marks out cistern location and levels ground.
	Underground plumbing is put together and buried in the pad.
	Gutter and rainhead screens are installed on the roof edge to catch rainwater and filter leaves and other large debris.
	First flush pipe and pipe to carry rainwater underground to cisterns are installed. The first flush pipe will catch the first few minutes of each rain storm, which is typically the dirtiest water, and divert it away from the cistern. Once the first flush is full, cleaner water bypasses the pipe and goes directly to the cistern. The inflow pipe is run underground in this system so that the cistern can sit in the far corner of the yard, away from the downspout.
	Finished mounted rainhead screen, first flush pipe, and inflow pipe.
	The form for the cistern pad is finished, with all underground plumbing, reinforcement for the concrete, and circular metal concrete form. TFS uses a circular metal form for cistern foundations, as this shape uses the least concrete. Metal forms are removed after the concrete cures, and are reused for the next job.
	The concrete truck is on its way!
	TFS crew wheelbarrows the mixed concrete into the form.
	Concrete is tamped and smoothed.
	Culvert is hooked up to crane for lifting over the backyard wall.
	Culvert is crane-lifted over wall. When possible, culverts are lifted with manpower from the ground onto the concrete pad. In this situation however, a crane was the only option for lifting the culvert into the yard corner.
	All crew members team up to center the culvert over the wet concrete.
	The culvert is set! The concrete is troweled inside and out.

Day 2

	The concrete is now cured. The inside floor of the cistern is cleaned, and sealed with a liquid rubber rated for potable water use. This creates a watertight, leakproof seal on the inside of the cistern.
	The finished sealed cistern floor.
	The lid is lifted on.
	We use a pitched sheet metal lid with a foam gasket around the inside lip, built in observation door and vent on top.
	The finished cistern.

Local Non-Profit Organizations

There are many great non-profits to support with your customer referral. Below, are some of the organizations that strive to make southern Arizona a great place to live, for present and future generations.

Tucson Clean and Beautiful, Inc. -- Mission: To preserve and improve our environment, conserve natural resources, and enhance the quality of life in the City of Tucson and eastern Pima County.

BICAS (Bicycle Inter-Community Action & Salvage) -- Mission: To promote education, art, and a healthy environment while providing service and opportunity for those in need through advocacy and recycling of the bicycle.

Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum -- Mission: To inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran Desert.

Iskash*taa Refugee Harvesting Network -- Mission: Iskash*taa Refugee Harvesting Network empowers refugees by creating opportunities to use their knowledge and skills to help their families and their community and to better integrate with the larger Tucson community while gaining life skills that serve them in America.

Community Food Bank - Mission: Through education, advocacy, and the acquisition, storage, and distribution of food, we will anticipate and meet the food needs of the hungry in our community.

HOPE Animal Shelter -- Mission: To foster respect for all animals by providing a safe haven for the unwanted animals in an enriching environment during their stay at the shelter.  To end euthanasia of unwanted animals by encouraging responsible adoptions, spay/neuter programs and public education.

El Grupo -- Mission: To encourage the use of the bicycle for physical fitness, fun, and camaraderie.  We target young people (ages 12-20) who have the determination and willingness to push themselves physically and mentally, but who would not normally have the opportunity to participate in the sport of cycling.

Environmental Education Exchange -- Mission: To enhance the quality and effectiveness of environmental education leading to greater participation in current environmental issues confronting society.

Industry Yard Signs

The following are examples of the industry yard signs that TFS has had made. If you are interested in having these signs made for your company, e-mail Tiernay Marsh at tiernay@tfssolar.com for a file that you can customize with your company information.  TFS currently has these yard signs made at Signage for about $12 each. Each sign is 4"x6", has reflective a white background (i.e. the same background as a speed limit sign), and is cut to have rounded corners.

Yard Sign Template

The file that you will receive to customize the sign with your company info will arrive as a template (as seen below). In order to customize your yard sign, open the pdf file (e.g. the file of the template) in a graphic design program (e.g. Adobe Illustrator). Second, select and delete the information that says "Your company logo here", then  add your company logo (make sure your logo is a vector file or high quality pdf that is at least 300 dpi). Third, delete "your website here" and type in your company website.