Other Success Stories
The Massachusetts Solar Connect program is an outreach and education initiative that partners selected non-profit organizations with online solar installer bidding platforms. These installer bidding platforms offer multiple competitive installer quotes to members of the non-profit. As part of the 2017 program, MassCEC selected Mass Energy Consumers Alliance (Mass Energy) to partner with the online platform EnergySage, and selected Cape and Islands Self Reliance and Marion Institute to partner with the online platform Pick My Solar. The program officially opened to non-profit members in late May, 2017.
On June 26th, Alex Karantza of Malden became the first resident to contract for a solar electric system under the program. As a member of Mass Energy, he heard about Mass Solar Connect through an email from the non-profit, signed up and received installer quotes through the EnergySage micro-marketplace.
Alex noted that “installing solar had been on the back of our minds for a while, but once I saw how easy it was to request quotes through EnergySage, I decided to go ahead and try it out. Within a week I had a few installers visiting to check out the house, talk about options, and give quotes. It wound up being much cheaper than I expected, and the ease of the process motivated us to get started right away.”
Ultimately Alex decided on purchasing a 4.36 kW system from Great Sky Solar, a worker-owned solar company based out of Brookline, MA.
With many more interested non-profit members receiving proposals through these platforms, it is likely that additional Massachusetts residents will contract for solar electric systems prior to the close of the program on October 31st, 2017.
