MassCEC Announces Winchester Reaches 100kW of Solar Through Solarize Mass Pilot

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) today announced that 23 residents or businesses have contracted with Alteris Renewables to install solar photovoltaic (PV) through MassCEC’s Solarize Mass pilot. The projects will install 110 kW of solar in Winchester, allowing residents and business owners to install solar at a further discounted rates through Solarize Mass. 
“Congratulations to the town of Winchester for surpassing this milestone, ensuring the community lower price points on solar power that will likely spur even greater adoption of solar power,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr., who chairs the MassCEC board. “As of today, Massachusetts has nearly 60 megawatts of solar power installed – and Solarize Mass is another way we are spreading the solar revolution across the state.”  
“Winchester is another example that Solarize Massachusetts is motivating residents and business owners in these four towns to adopt solar energy as a viable way to manage energy costs and reduce dependence on fossil fuels ,” said MassCEC Executive Director Patrick Cloney. “I congratulate Winchester in reaching the second pricing tier and hope to see more community members go solar in the coming month.”
"Winchester, designated a Green Community by the Department of Energy Resources, has demonstrated once again what can happen when a community comes together at the grassroots level to achieve its clean energy goals.  As soon as they were selected to participate, the Winchester municipal team and Cool Winchester hit the ground running with outreach to their residents on the Solarize Mass program. They are a true example of how we are going to create a cleaner energy future for Massachusetts – community by community," said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia.
As part of the Solarize Mass pilot MassCEC issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for bulk purchasing business models from solar integrators in which installation costs are based on a tiered structure that provide lower costs with increased capacity of solar installed within the community. Alteris was selected as the Solarize installer for Winchester.
MassCEC’s Solarize Mass team will be present at Winchester’s Eco Festival on October 15 at the Town Common. The Solarize Mass team and Alteris Renewables will be on site to answer solar questions.
For more information on Solarize Mass visit: www.MassCEC.com/solarizemass.
“Helping Winchester’s residents and businesses take advantage of cost saving and carbon reducing energy alternatives is very important to the Town.  It is terrific that so many residents have decided to install solar as part of this great cost saving program,” Tom Howley, member of the Board of Selectmen. “We really appreciate the work being done by Solarize Massachusetts, Sustainable Winchester and others to make sure this program is available to as many people as possible.”
"We are very excited that Winchester has hit the Tier 2 incentive in the Solarize Mass program. The residents of Winchester have shown great ambition in investing in solar energy and taking advantage of the Solarize Mass price incentives. We hope that the momentum continues and they can achieve the Tier 3 incentive level,” Jim Olivia, Director of Sales at Alteris Renewables. 
“It has been great to see the enthusiastic response from Winchester residents and businesses who are seizing the opportunity to install solar PV panels that will reduce their electricity bills and lower greenhouse gas emissions,” said State Rep. Jason Lewis.
Solarize Massachusetts was launched in four pilot communities in Massachusetts this spring to encourage residents and business owners to adopt solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. MassCEC, in partnership with the Green Communities Division of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) selected the communities of Harvard, Hatfield, Scituate, and Winchester to participate in the model, which leverages education, grassroots marketing, and group purchasing to accelerate the adoption of solar PV. MassCEC has provided education and marketing support to help the four communities implement a community-wide solar PV program for residential and small-scale commercial projects, and deploy bulk-purchasing business model to reduce costs.