26 September, 2012
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Commissioner Mark Sylvia today announced that the deadline of the Solarize Massachusetts Program (Solarize Mass) has been extended to Oct. 31, citing high demand for the solar bulk purchasing program.
As of last Friday, Hopkinton has 14 contracts signed for 87 kilowatts of capacity, putting them in Tier 3. They only have 63 kilowatts left until they reach Tier 4, the next to lowest tier of pricing in the Solarize Mass Hopkinton program. For more information about the Hopkinton program Click Here.
The program was originally scheduled to end Sept. 30. The program, designed to increase the adoption of solar energy and reduce the cost of solar energy, offers residents and businesses long-term discounted solar pricing and lower prices than traditional sources of fossil fuel-based energy generation, which is also costly to the environment and public health.
Solarize Mass encourages the adoption of small scale solar PV systems by allowing residents and businesses to access a five-tiered, bulk purchasing program in their communities. As more people in a particular community contract for solar energy, the price drops for all involved.
“The adoption of clean, renewable energy is happening from the ground-up in communities across the state through this grassroots program,” said Commissioner Sylvia. “Together we are building a network of reliable, home-grown sources of energy and leaving a clean energy future for the next generation.”
“Extending the deadline will ensure everyone in these communities has the opportunity to take advantage of this program, which serves as a national model,” said CEO Barton McDevitt. “We’re beyond pleased with the response so far and expect the number of signed contracts to increase dramatically during October.”
To date, the 17 communities participating in Solarize Mass – Acton, Arlington, Boston, Hopkinton, Lenox, Lincoln, Melrose, Mendon, Millbury, Montague, Newburyport, Palmer, Pittsfield, Shirley, Sudbury, Sutton and Wayland – have contracted over 288 solar systems with an expected generation of 1.9 megawatts, enough to power the equivalent of 312 homes or cutting the emissions equal to taking 212 cars off the road.
More than 4,500 people have expressed interest in the program, with more than 2,000 of those scheduling site assessments at their homes or businesses.
The installers participating in the Solarize Mass program – Astrum Solar, New England Clean Energy, Northeast Solar Design Associates, Roof Diagnostics, SolarCity, SolarFlair and SunBug Solar – have agreed to extend the program deadline by one month in all 17 communities. Residents and businesses interested in participating should call (617) 315-9306 for more information.
Under the leadership of Governor Deval Patrick, Massachusetts set a goal of achieving 250 megawatts of solar by 2017. As a result of the Solarize Mass program and other incentives, the state is more than halfway to its goal – with 143 megawatts of solar installed to date, the equivalent of powering 22,618 homes for a year or cutting the emissions equivalent to taking 15,375 cars of the road.
Massachusetts lies at the end of the energy pipeline – lacking indigenous supplies of coal, natural gas and oil. As a result, Massachusetts has some of the highest energy costs in the nation. Of the $22 billion Massachusetts spends annually on energy, $18 billion of that goes to out-of-state and foreign sources. Increasingly the state’s base of renewable energy through programs like Solarize Mass keeps more of that money in the local economy, while creating jobs at the same time.
Clean energy jobs in Massachusetts have grown by 11.2 percent from 2011 to 2012, according to the 2012 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report.
About Solarize Mass
Solarize Mass, which is a partnership between the MassCEC and DOER’s Green Communities Division, encourages the adoption of small scale solar projects. The program is available to 17 Massachusetts Green Communities, which were designated by DOER after those communities committed to reducing municipal energy use by 20 percent. Follow the Twitter hash tag #SolarizeMass for more information.
About MassCEC
Created by the Green Jobs Act of 2008, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) has as its mission to foster the growth of the Massachusetts clean energy industry by providing seed grants to companies, universities, and nonprofit organizations; funding job training and workforce development programs; and, as home of the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, supporting the installation of renewable energy projects throughout the state.
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