Solarize Massachusetts (Solarize Mass) seeks to increase the adoption of small-scale solar electricity in participating communities through a competitive solicitation process that aggregates homeowner buying power to lower installation prices for participants.

Solarize Massachusetts Plus (Solarize Mass Plus) seeks to increase adoption of small-scale solar electricity and additional complementary technologies.

MassCEC will not be offering funding for 2021 Solarize Mass campaigns.

If you have an interest in running a Solarize-style campaign in the upcoming year, please review the resources in the Solarize-HeatSmart Toolkit and stay tuned for more materials to be posted in the coming months. Additionally, if you would like to speak with MassCEC for guidance please reach out to solarize@masscec.com, and we can set up a time to speak with you!

If you are a designated Green Community you may be eligible for additional funding to help subsidize the costs of running a Solarize-style campaign through your application to Green Communities Grant funding this year. For more information on eligibility for this funding from the Green Communities Grant Program please click here.

2020 Solarize Mass Program

The following communities are currently participating in the 2020 round:

Solarize Mass Plus Mendon-Upton:

  • Promoting solar PV, battery storage, air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, solar hot water, and electric vehicles
  • Solarize Mendon-Upton Website
  • Contact email: solarizemendonupton@gmail.com
  • Mendon-Upton's chosen installers are ACE Solar (Solar PV), Acheive Renewable Energy (GSHP), Boucher Energy Systems (ASHP), RES Solar (SHW) and partners with Drive Green to promote electric vehicles. 

Solarize Mass Plus Yarmouth:

If you live in one of these communities, you can contact the respective community volunteer team via the contact information listed under their campaign information.

2019 Solarize Mass Completed Programs & Earlier Rounds

Several communities who participated in the 2019 Solarize Mass Program have now completed their campaigns.

For final results for all communities: See Solarize Mass Program Results page for final information on all campaigns.

For contact information:

For individual community contact information, email solarize@masscec.com

In order to support communities across Massachusetts in conducting community clean energy initiatives, MassCEC has created the Solarize-HeatSmart Toolkit

Our goal is to provide communities that are interested in running a Solarize or HeatSmart-styled campaign with resources and valuable information necessary to create their own clean energy adoption programs.We hope to harness the energy and motivations your town has to create lasting climate action. Resources will include materials to assist in community outreach, marketing, installer selection, campaign management, event planning, and campaign wrap-up and analysis.

Please visit www.masscec.com/solarize-heatsmart-toolkit to view the full resource.

Now in its tenth year, Solarize Mass is a partnership between MassCEC and the Green Communities Division of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER).  Click here to see a map of all Solarize Communities and results to date.

 

How it works

The Solarize Mass program looks to increase the adoption of small-scale solar electricity systems through a grassroots educational campaign, driven mainly by local volunteers and reduced pricing that increases the savings for participants. Each participating community competitively selects a designated solar installation company. Homeowners and business owners who want to participate can either purchase the solar electricity systems directly or enter into a lease or power purchase agreement (PPA) with the installer if offered. Under a lease or PPA, the installer will own, operate and maintain the system, while the home or business owner agrees to purchase the power generated by the system as a specific rate. 

The Solarize Mass Plus program pairs the Solarize Mass model with an additional technology offering. This program was piloted in 2017 and continued through 2020. Participating communities have opted for solar PV plus a range of eligible technologies including, air source heat pumps, battery storage, electric vehicles, ground source heat pumps, and solar hot water. Eligible technologies range from various Clean Heating and Cooling technologies, to Energy Efficiency or Electric Vehicles. In addition to competitively selecting a solar installation company, MassCEC will assist the community in competitively selecting a vendor for the Plus technology or technologies.

Since Solarize Mass launched in 2011, the program has resulted in almost 20,000 individuals expressing interest in pursuing solar electricity and other clean energy technology systems. To date, over 3,700 residents and business owners in 85 communities signed contracts resulting in over 25.66 megawatts of contracted capacity. The Solarize Mass Plus program has resulted in the contracting of an additional 111 clean energy technologies. In addition, the number of small-scale solar electricity projects in almost every community doubled as a result of the program. See Solarize Mass Results for information and up-to-date results. To learn more about the current Solarize Mass program, go to the Solarize Mass main page.

Solarize Mass Results

 

Solarize Mass Community Marketing Proposals

Solarize Mass community marketing proposals from 2012 through 2020 are provided below to assist communities and other interested parties in considering different strategies for implementing a Solarize or similar cleam energy adoption campaign. Developing a marketing proposal prior to the launch of a clean energy adoption campaign can provide a useful roadmap for communities, and may benefit program results.  

Solarize Mass Community Marketing Proposals (2012 - 2020)
2020

Mendon-Upton

Yarmouth      
2019 Belchertown Needham Salem-Swampscott-Nahant Williamstown-North Adams  
2018 Wellfleet-Eastham-Truro-Provincetown Lowell Springfield-Longmeadow    
2017 Lincoln-Sudbury-Wayland Newburyport Winthrop    
2016 Bolton Medfield Natick Shelburne-Colrain-Conway

Somerville

Upton Windsor-Cummington-Goshen-Worthington      
2015 Plainfield-Ashfield-Buckland Provincetown Quincy    
2013 Round 2 Adams Amherst Andover Great Barrington-Egremont Lexington-Bedford
Needham Salem-Swampscott Watertown Wellfleet Williamsburg-Whately-Chesterfield
2013 Round 1 Bourne Brookline Chelmsford-Carlisle Lee Medford
Medway Newton Northampton Williamstown

 

2012 Acton Arlington Boston Hopkinton

Melrose

Mendon Montague Newburyport Palmer

Shirley

Pittsfield-Lenox Millbury-Sutton Wayland-Lincoln-Sudbury