My name is Sharon Yun and I am a Solar Consultant and Project Administrator and Liaison for Alternative Energy Southeast.  Our owner, Montana Busch, is a Lilburn resident as well as me so I am writing this post on the behalf of our company and to let you know a little bit more about myself and what I have to offer this community.  You can reach me at 678-792-8848 and Sharon@altenergyse.com

 Alternative Energy Southeast, Inc is the Solar Company you can trust.  We’re committed to care, efficiency, and your satisfaction.  AES specializes in the design and installation of solar power electric energy systems, or photovoltaics (PV) for residential and commercial customers.  Our highly accredited team provides customers with exceptional customer service and workmanship for solar installations throughout Georgia and surrounding states.  What’s more, we’re driven by a real purpose to make the world a better place.  We were established in 2007 and have multiple 5 star reviews, hundreds of successful installations and most importantly, a large extended family of happy PV System owners.  To learn more about us please visit our website, www.altenergyse.com. 

Everyone’s situation is unique, so we need to evaluate your electric bill and property to come up with accurate numbers, but our typical customer has a return on investment of 9 to 15 years, which means that your system could pay for itself several times over.  That’s not something you can say for your electric bill.  If you own your house or business and your property has good solar potential, it just makes sense to also own your electric supply as well.  We have great loan options too so you can start investing in your photovoltaic system now.  We install roof mount and ground mount systems with or without energy storage.  No project is too small or too large for our skilled team of installers.

We understand that the future for energy resiliency is distributed generation, which means electricity is being used where it is produced or it is used in a microgrid which can supply power to the surrounding neighborhood or campus.  This method as practiced around the world can be more economical and equitable than relying on large electric companies, which often place profits over people, to push electricity from huge power plants hundreds of miles away.  Also, having one’s own power supply means you can become a backup source of electricity for yourself and your neighborhood when the grid is down.  Much of Georgia Power’s electricity comes from coal and natural gas which are antiquated sources of electricity and currently polluting our air and water.  Providing your electricity with solar reduces our community’s dependency on these harmful energy sources.  Also, those electric cars are only emission free when their source of electricity is emission free.  There’s nothing like driving a car powered by sunshine.  Yes, there are some emissions involved in producing solar panels, but they become carbon neutral after only a few years of use.

  Montana Busch is very active in solar advocacy and environmental policy and is Co-Chair of Georgia Solar Energy Association’s Board of Directors.  GA Solar is a great organization where anyone who is interested in solar advocacy can participate.  There are educational workshops where you can learn more about solar policy and opportunities to be active in influencing and changing legislation and holding our Public Commissioners accountable to encourage more growth and equity in the Solar Energy sector. GA Power has a monopoly on the electric power supply in this state and it is up to us to let them know what we want by voting for Public Commissioners who represent our values and by telling our legislatures to vote for policy which moves us towards clean energy sources.

Here is a link to GA Solar’s webpage with information regarding purchasing solar.  Unfortunately, there have been companies new to the state who are misinforming people in order to make a sale.  In order to help people make informed decisions regarding their energy portfolio, Montana Busch did a video explaining what you should be looking for when getting solar quotes.  Our Solar Consultants are committed to giving you accurate information about your solar potential and we back it up with a 25 year power production guarantee.  Our free consultations and detailed proposals show you how much you can save over 30 years.  As the panels are warrantied to lose less than .5% of their production every year, they will last much longer than 30 years.

Now, a little more about me and what I have to offer.  I am an avid gardener, nature lover, cat lady, and dedicated cosmic citizen.  I have several mottos that I live by: “Embody your Niche”, “Bee Love,” “Leave it Better than you Found it,” “Be Kind” and “An it Harm None, Do What Ye Will.” 

I am on a mission of Collective EmPowerment.  I seek to promote Justice, Equity, and Compassion in all my relations.  I also affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every living being and care for and respect the Interconnected Web of Life of which we are each a very small part.  I have a goal for World Community with Peace, Liberty, and Justice for all.  I affirm our right of conscience and the democratic process in our communities.  My principles can be summed up by the 7 Unitarian Universalist Principles which are listed here. 

I am an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett.  I lead a Women’s Group and soon hope to have a Non Violent Communication Practice Group.  I also serve Gong Fu tea at events on our property. 

One day my husband and I would like to open a Wellness Center with a Gong Fu Tea Garden with live music and open mic nights.  We would host events throughout the week such as yoga, dance, kirtan, and other wellness practices.  It would also have rooms for practitioners of different healing modalities.  I used to have a similar place on Haight St., San Francisco called Eden Sauna and Tea Lounge.  I’m interested in finding collaborators for this endeavor.

 

We are hosting a Benefit Concert on June 4 from 4-8pm on our property at 4335 Bending River Trail, Lilburn.  We will have live bands including Mixed Genes and Zephaniah Peterson.  My husband is an addiction psychiatrist at Mercy Care and the money raised at the Benefit will help their Street Medicine Team’s treatment-resistant patients get the care they need.  Click here for the Facebook invite.

My husband Thomas Yun, I, and our 9 year old son Bodhi care for a 7 acre homestead with flower and vegetable gardens, chickens, bees, sheep, solar, and an outdoor venue on the Yellow River for community events and retreats.  I have a certificate as a Sustainability Ambassador from attending the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Resiliency Sustainability Ambassador program and for my graduation project I created a Community Composting program.  Please let me know if you want to join.  We have a free U-Pick Strawberry farm which I have been sharing with the community through the Buy Nothing Central Lilburn Facebook page and would also invite all LBA members to come pick some strawberries and take some plants home.  I have many herbs I can send home with you too.  I am always happy to give tours and share what I know about solar, permaculture, and sustainability.

 

I am also an Executive Committee leader of the Greater Gwinnett Sierra Club Group and an Outings Leader.  You can find more information about our monthly meetings in the Georgia Sierran.  We are a nonprofit politically active environmental organization and are always looking for more engaged citizens to help us promote environmentally friendly policy and to participate in events and outings.  Our meetings are always informative about environmental issues that affect you and your local community.  Our next meeting on July 7 will feature Russell Edwards, a Public Commissioner for Athens-Clarke County.  More info will be posted on our Meetup and Facebook pages soon.

I am also part of a grassroots citizen’s campaign called Gwinnett Ready for 100, with the ultimate goal of moving Gwinnett towards 100% Renewable Energy.  Our main initiative right now is to get an Office of Sustainability for Gwinnett County.  This position will pay for itself as having an Office of Sustainability is a prerequisite to be able to apply for grants which will fund efforts to move towards more renewable energy including installing solar, buying county electric vehicles and making buildings more efficient.  Also, the Office of Sustainability can reduce agency expenditures such as the cost of water, energy, and infrastructure development and maintenance.  More information is on page 11 of the Georgia Sierran.   Please fill out the petition here asking our County Commissioners to create an Office of Sustainability.

Another organization I’d like to share about is Citizen’s Climate Lobby.  They have a single focus of passing a Carbon Fee and Dividend legislation which would move us to Net Zero Carbon by 2050.  For more information, click here.

Our time on Earth is precious and short which is why I am taking every opportunity I can to educate, support, and thus emPower my community.  Please reach out to me at sharon@altenergyse.com or 678-792-8848 if I can be of any assistance to help you or someone you know become more emPowered.  There is a $500 referral bonus for anyone you send my way who signs a contract with us. 

“In the morning, in the rise up, there's a bridge from all that's been
In the dawning, the vines are pushing through the pavement
We were born of burning hearts
We are tearing off the reigns
From the ground up we will build it
From the clouds above we'll rain it
From the crowd up we will raise it
From the ground up...”

Ayla Nereo From The Ground Up

Be sure to check out my video interview!

--- Sharon Yun