Cummington, Goshen, Worthington and Windsor are among the 12 Massachusetts communities that have been selected to participate in the state-sponsored solar energy program Solarize Mass 2016.
The program has the potential to help homeowners in those communities realize considerable savings on their electric bills, while also providing a clean source of sustainable energy.
“The people that I have talked with about the Solarize program have seemed very interested,” said Bill Adams, the Cummington solar coach and Select Board member. “I think people are very excited about this, and we certainly have a need for renewable energy.”
Solarize Mass is a partnership between the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and the Green Communities Division of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.
The program allows homeowners and business owners to purchase or lease a photovoltaic system at reduced cost through a group purchasing model. The more owners that sign on for solar panel installation, the more the cost goes down.
State Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, said that he applauds the Baker-Polito Administration for once again selecting a group of small, rural communities to participate in the Solarize Mass program.
“People in these towns have a lot of enthusiasm for solar energy and reducing their dependence on fossil fuels,” Kulik said. “I know that being in the Solarize Mass program will help many people install solar energy systems and help to advance our state’s green energy goals.”
Other Hilltowns that already have participated in the program include Ashfield, Buckland, Chesterfield, Plainfield, and Williamsburg.
To date, 2,700 residents and business owners in a total of 51 communities have signed up to participate in the program, resulting in 17 megawatts of contracted solar capacity through Solarize Mass.
Separately, none of the towns would have been eligible for the program, which requires the community to have a minimum of 1,000 owner-occupied homes.
So, the four towns teamed up to ensure they would meet the requirement.
“I think that it is normal for three smaller towns to do this together. We thought it would be advantageous to do it with four,” Adams said.
Once a community, or group of towns, has been selected to participate in the program, local volunteers mobilize to inform residents of the Solarize Mass benefits and how they can enroll in the program.
Solar coaches in each of the four Hilltowns are now working on setting up local informational forums.
“I am already meeting with my team of volunteers and hope to have two or three forums this summer, perhaps starting in July, Adams said. “Hopefully by fall we will have a pile of contracts signed.”
Adams said that in advance of the public forums, there have already been a total of 170 inquiries from residents of the four towns and 90 households have agreed to have a free assessment to see if their property is a good fit for a solar installation, either on a roof or as a ground-level solar array.
The four-town consortium is hoping for a total of 150 signed contracts which will enable them to reach Tier 5, which is the highest level for which the solar installations can be provided at the lowest cost.
Solarize Mass began in 2011 as part of former Gov. Deval Patrick’s solar power initiative to install 250 megawatts of solar power in Massachusetts by 2017.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, in 2015, Massachusetts had installed a total of 340 megawatts of solar electric capacity, ranking it fourth in the nation for solar capacity.
Gov. Charlie Baker said that his administration is committed to working with all stakeholders to increase access to affordable solar energy in the state.
Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Judith Judson called communities participating in the Solarize Mass program “a linchpin in ensuring that Massachusetts continues our progress towards greater solar electricity integration.”
Judson added, “By joining Solarize Mass, our partner communities reinforce their commitment to helping the Commonwealth continue to lead the way on clean energy, while saving homeowners money on their monthly energy bills.”
The eight other communities selected to participate in Solarize Mass this year are Bolton, Medfield, Natick, Somerville, Upton and the partnership of Shelburne-Colrain-Conway.
Residents seeking more information on this program should contact the solar coach in their town: Cummington, Bill Adams, 634-5342, solarizecummington@gmail.com; Goshen, Barbara Christopolis, 268-7093, SolarizeGoshen@gmail.com; Worthington, Kevin O’Connor, 238-0841, SolarizeWorthington@gmail.com; and Windsor, Jan Bradley, 684-3732, or Patti Hackett-Hunter, 344-6186 solarizeworthington@gmail.com.