Business

Governor Deval Patrick today joined representatives from three Massachusetts companies, The Vertex Companies, Inc., Panel Claw and Solectria, and two Mexican partners, Constructora e Inmobiliaria Zacatecana and Grupos Domos, to announce ZacSol, a 30-megawatt solar electric project that will be among the largest of its kind in Latin America.

"I congratulate VERTEX, Panel Claw and Solectria on this historic agreement that will bring economic growth to Massachusetts while fostering the global clean energy economy," said Governor Patrick. "We have opened up the doors of Massachusetts to the world, and today Massachusetts companies are competing on the international stage and winning."

Governor Patrick was joined by Zacatecas Governor Miguel Alonso Reyes in announcing the project during a reception held as part of the Massachusetts -- Mexico Innovation Partnership Mission.

The VERTEX Companies, Inc., of Weymouth, is leading the environmental permitting and construction management of the project, while North Andover-based Panel Claw is slated to supply the ground-mounting system and Lawrence-based Solectria Renewables the solar inverters. The Mexican partners for the project include Constructora e Inmobiliaria Zacatecana and Grupos Domos. After the final approval for the project, the Federal Electricity Commission of Mexico will purchase the electricity generated by the system, which will be one of the 10 largest in Latin America.

"I'm thrilled to see this collaboration between a trio of Massachusetts companies working together and with their partners on an international stage," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan.

"It's exciting to see these Massachusetts clean energy companies expanding into Latin America, truly solidifying the Commonwealth's spot on the global stage," said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton.

"Today's announcement is further proof that Massachusetts' solar industry is booming and growing beyond our region," said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Mark Sylvia. "I'm excited that this project will help Mexico enjoy the economic and environmental benefits of solar investments."

"VERTEX is excited to announce the ZacSol project together with its Massachusetts and Mexican partners," said Jeff Picard, President and COO of The Vertex Companies, Inc. "VERTEX has been working in Mexico for over a decade and this is one of the most exciting projects we've had the opportunity to work on. ZacSol will be an important project for Mexico and we are thrilled to be part of the team making it happen."

"Mexico's growing commitment to solar power generation creates an opportunity for it to become a greater part of PanelClaw's North American strategy," said Constantino Nicolaou, CEO of PanelClaw North America. "The ZacSol project is a perfect example of international collaboration needed to accelerate the adoption of PV."

Solar energy has been a major component of Governor Patrick's clean energy agenda since 2007. Massachusetts currently has 464 Megawatts of solar electric capacity, enough to power the equivalent of 70,000 average Massachusetts homes. More than 8,400 workers in Massachusetts spend at least 50 percent of their time on solar-related activities, according to the 2013 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report.

"The Mexican solar market has the potential for explosive growth in the near term. As one of the first major solar projects in Mexico, ZacSol is going to help drive the growth of the solar market," said Javier Garza Buffington, Grupo Domos Director of Business Development. "Grupo Domos is excited to be a part of ZacSol with their partners from Mexico and Massachusetts."

"Constructora e Inmobliaria Zacatecana (CIZ) has extensive experience developing construction projects in Zacatecas," said Joaquin Leal Kirchbach CEO of Constructora e Inmobliaria Zacatecana, S.A. de C.V. "With our first solar project in the state, we are looking forward to continuing to help create jobs and now provide a clean source of energy in Zacatecas."

From March 19 -- 22, 2014, Governor Deval Patrick is leading the Massachusetts -- Mexico Innovation Partnership Mission, bringing together leaders in government and business to focus on strengthening existing relationships and building new ones with the emerging innovation economy of Mexico City.

Massachusetts and Mexico share a strong, established relationship that, with the proper cultivation, has the potential to develop significantly. In 2013, Mexico was Massachusetts' third ranked import partner, with Massachusetts importing approximately $3.37 billion worth of goods and services. Mexico was Massachusetts' third ranked export partner, with Massachusetts exporting approximately $1.86 billion worth of goods and services. Similar to the Patrick Administration, the Pena Nieto Administration has pursued a growth strategy that invests in education, innovation, and infrastructure.

Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett today announced that the communities of Provincetown, Quincy, Plainfield, Ashfield and Buckland will participate in the latest round of Solarize Massachusetts (Solarize Mass®), a grassroots solar energy marketing, education and group-buying program.

Secretary Bartlett also announced that Mass Energy, a non-profit group comprised of 20,000 members, will participate in the inaugural round of Mass Solar Connect, a program similar to Solarize Mass, but focused on driving solar adoption among members of non-profit organizations.

“The more people learn about the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy, the more excited they are to adopt the technology at their homes and businesses,” said Secretary Bartlett. “Governor Patrick’s policies are driving clean energy adoption and creating local jobs across the Commonwealth, these programs are helping more communities and organizations to participate.”

Solarize Mass – administered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) – is designed to increase the adoption of solar energy across the state, while reducing the overall cost of solar power and offering residents and businesses discounted pricing for solar systems. The program lowers energy costs by offering residents a five-tiered pricing structure, where the savings increase as more people sign contracts.

The five communities participating in this round of Solarize Mass are Provincetown, Quincy, Plainfield, Ashfield and Buckland, with the latter three participating as a group.

“Solarize Mass has been a driving force for solar adoption in participating communities over the years,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton. “I’m sure these five communities will add to this history of success.”

“Thanks to the Governor Patrick’s leadership, Massachusetts is leading the nation in solar energy. With more than 16,000 solar installations – a more than twenty-fold increase from 2008 – every corner of the Commonwealth is taking their energy future into their own hands by investing in solar, creating jobs and reducing emissions along the way,” said DOER Commissioner Meg Lusardi.

Four of the five communities are Green Communities (Ashfield, Buckland, Provincetown and Quincy) – a designation made by DOER to cities and towns that meet five clean energy requirements, including a commitment to reduce energy use by 20 percent within five years as well as a streamlined process of responsible siting of renewable energy such as solar electricity.

MassCEC and DOER will work with community volunteers and municipal representatives from each community to select a designated solar installer through a competitive bidding process.

Since the program’s inception in 2011, Solarize Mass has been responsible for more than 2,400 solar contracts in 46 communities across the state which amounts to 16 total megawatts of electricity capacity.

A new program administered by MassCEC, Mass Solar Connect, will capitalize on the success of Solarize Mass by bringing the education and group-buying benefits to members of non-profit organizations, regardless of the members’ geographic location. MassCEC will work with the non-profit to select a designated installer or group of installers through a competitive bidding process.

“Mass Energy Consumers Alliance really believes in the group purchasing model.  We used it successfully on solar energy over 10 years ago, but the Solar Connect program has many great features and now is a perfect time to go solar,” said Larry Chretien, Executive Director of Mass Energy. “We are excited to be working with the Mass Clean Energy Center and solar companies to deliver an excellent deal for our members.”

The solar industry is booming in Massachusetts, with the Commonwealth meeting Governor Patrick’s ambitious goal of installing 250 megawatts of solar electricity capacity by 2017 four years early. Governor Patrick set a new goal of 1,600 megawatts of installed solar capacity by 2020, and the Commonwealth is well on its way to meeting this mark, with more than 680 megawatts already installed – enough to power more than 100,000 average Massachusetts homes.

In addition to reducing the Commonwealth’s dependence on dirty fossil fuels, the solar industry is also creating thousands of local jobs, with more than 12,000 people already employed in the growing sector, according to the 2014 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) today announced that 932 residents and businesses signed contracts to install solar electricity systems as part of the latest round of Solarize Massachusetts (Solarize Mass®), which concluded June 30.

The systems contracted through this round of Solarize Mass constitute 6.1 megawatts of homegrown, clean, renewable energy capacity that will generate enough electricity to power more than 900 average Massachusetts homes annually.

The program lowers costs by offering consumers a five-tiered pricing structure, where the savings increase as more people sign contacts in a community or partnership of communities.

“Since its inception, the Solarize Mass model has been a huge hit with residents and business owners across the state, with this round being the best yet,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett. “This program is a testament to what can happen when government, industry and dedicated volunteers work together.”

Started as a pilot program in 2011, Solarize Mass has been responsible for adding nearly than 2,450 solar systems across the state with 16 MW of electricity capacity, which represents enough greenhouse gas emission reductions to offset pollution from more than 1,500 cars.

The 15 communities participating in this round – Adams, Amherst, Andover, Bedford, Chesterfield, Egremont, Great Barrington, Lexington, Needham, Salem, Swampscott, Watertown, Wellfleet, Whately, Williamsburg – averaged 401 kW each, the highest average for any round of the program. Thirteen of the 15 communities reached Tier 5, which represents the greatest savings in the program.

“The sun is truly shining on these Solarize communities,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton. “This program proves time and time again that sharing the environmental and economic benefits of solar electricity will truly drive adoption.”

“The success of Solarize Mass is further evidence that homeowners and businesses across Massachusetts are eager to embrace solar electricity. We will continue to work with individuals, cities, towns and businesses to make local, clean power accessible,” said DOER Acting Commissioner Meg Lusardi.

Preliminary results for contracts signed and capacity for participating communities are:

Adams:                                                18 systems                  100 kilowatts

Amherst                                              174 systems                1,195 kilowatts

Andover                                              78 systems                  654 kilowatts

Great Barrington-Egremont:               84 systems                  546 kilowatts

Lexington-Bedford:                             162 systems                1,136 kilowatts

Needham:                                           99 systems                  729 kilowatts

Salem-Swampscott:                           71 systems                  401 kilowatts

Watertown:                                          28 systems                  136 kilowatts

Wellfleet:                                             133 systems                656 kilowatts

Williamsburg/Whately/Chesterfield:    85 systems                  589 kilowatts

Installers participating in this round of the program were RGS Energy, Northeast Solar Design Associates, Astrum Solar, Next Step Living, Cotuit Solar, E2 Solar and Blue Selenium Solar.

Amherst’s 174 systems and 1.2 MW of contracted capacity are both Solarize Mass records for an individual community.

“This is beyond our wildest expectations,” said Amherst Solar Coach Jeanette Tokarz, who organized outreach efforts among the town’s volunteers. “The Amherst residents have a very deep commitment to and enthusiasm toward green energy.”

“I am pleased, but frankly, not surprised that Amherst is among the leaders in our ongoing effort to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and imported energy,” State Senator Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst) said. “All the communities participating in this outstanding program are blessed with what I like to call the gift of the environmentalist. That gift is a hopeful vision for a cleaner, more sustainable future for our children.”

“I’m not surprised that Amherst is at the top of the list in this effort. I am proud of the efforts of Amherst and the entire Solarize Mass program for these achievements,” said State Rep. Ellen Story, (D-Amherst). “I will continue to support bold expansions of renewable energy in the future.”