Commonwealth Solar II

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Commissioner Mark Sylvia today announced that the deadline of the Solarize Massachusetts Program (Solarize Mass) has been extended to Oct. 31, citing high demand for the solar bulk purchasing program.
The program was originally scheduled to end Sept. 30. The program, designed to increase the adoption of solar energy and reduce the cost of solar energy, offers residents and businesses long-term discounted solar pricing and lower prices than traditional sources of fossil fuel-based energy generation, which is also costly to the environment and public health.
Solarize Mass encourages the adoption of small scale solar PV systems by allowing residents and businesses to access a five-tiered, bulk purchasing program in their communities. As more people in a particular community contract for solar energy, the price drops for all involved.
“The adoption of clean, renewable energy is happening from the ground-up in communities across the state through this grassroots program,” said Commissioner Sylvia. “Together we are building a network of reliable, home-grown sources of energy and leaving a clean energy future for the next generation.”
“Extending the deadline will ensure everyone in these communities has the opportunity to take advantage of this program, which serves as a national model,” said CEO Barton McDevitt. “We’re beyond pleased with the response so far and expect the number of signed contracts to increase dramatically during October.”
To date, the 17 communities participating in Solarize Mass – Acton, Arlington, Boston, Hopkinton, Lenox, Lincoln, Melrose, Mendon, Millbury, Montague, Newburyport, Palmer, Pittsfield, Shirley, Sudbury, Sutton and Wayland – have contracted over 288 solar systems with an expected generation of 1.9 megawatts, enough to power the equivalent of 312 homes or cutting the emissions equal to taking 212 cars off the road.
More than 4,500 people have expressed interest in the program, with more than 2,000 of those scheduling site assessments at their homes or businesses.
The installers participating in the Solarize Mass program – Astrum Solar, New England Clean Energy, Northeast Solar Design Associates, Roof Diagnostics, SolarCity, SolarFlair and SunBug Solar – have agreed to extend the program deadline by one month in all 17 communities. Residents and businesses interested in participating should call (617) 315-9306 for more information.
Visit the community pages listed below for extension details specific to their municipality.
Solarize Acton; Solarize Arlington; Solarize Boston; Solarize Hopkinton; Solarize Lenox; Solarize Lincoln; Solarize Melrose; Solarize Mendon; Solarize Millbury; Solarize Montague; Solarize Newburyport; Solarize Palmer; Solarize Pittsfield; Solarize Shirley; Solarize Sudbury; Solarize Sutton; Solarize Wayland.
Under the leadership of Governor Deval Patrick, Massachusetts set a goal of achieving 250 megawatts of solar by 2017. As a result of the Solarize Mass program and other incentives, the state is more than halfway to its goal – with 143 megawatts of solar installed to date, the equivalent of powering 22,618 homes for a year or cutting the emissions equivalent to taking 15,375 cars of the road.
Massachusetts lies at the end of the energy pipeline – lacking indigenous supplies of coal, natural gas and oil. As a result, Massachusetts has some of the highest energy costs in the nation. Of the $22 billion Massachusetts spends annually on energy, $18 billion of that goes to out-of-state and foreign sources. Increasingly the state’s base of renewable energy through programs like Solarize Mass keeps more of that money in the local economy, while creating jobs at the same time.
Clean energy jobs in Massachusetts have grown by 11.2 percent from 2011 to 2012, according to the 2012 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report.

About Solarize Mass
Solarize Mass, which is a partnership between the MassCEC and DOER’s Green Communities Division, encourages the adoption of small scale solar projects. The program is available to 17 Massachusetts Green Communities, which were designated by DOER after those communities committed to reducing municipal energy use by 20 percent. Follow the Twitter hash tag #SolarizeMass for more information.

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt today announced Hopkinton residents and businesses have qualified for the lowest pricing tier available under the Solarize Massachusetts Program (Solarize Mass) and will receive prices well below rates for traditional sources of energy.

As a result of Solarize Mass, the average Hopkinton participant who enters into a contract to buy solar electricity will now pay an average of 5 cents per kilowatt hour. This rate is lower than the average statewide price of 15 cents per kilowatt hour for traditional energy sources, which are a mix of coal-fired, nuclear or natural gas generation.

Residents and businesses have until October 31 to sign contracts to participate in the bulk purchasing program.

“I hope Hopkinton’s renewable energy leadership will inspire residents in this community and beyond to take advantage of this program that not only cuts energy costs, but creates local jobs,” said MassCEC CEO and Executive Director Alicia Barton McDevitt.

Under the leadership of Governor Deval Patrick, Massachusetts set a goal of achieving 250 megawatts of solar by 2017. As a result of the Solarize Mass program and other incentives, the state is more than halfway to its goal – with 162 megawatts of solar installed to date, the equivalent of powering 25,623 homes for a year.

To date, a number of residents and businesses in Hopkinton have banded together to participate in the program, contracting 38 solar systems for a total capacity of 252 kilowatts (kW).

Solarize Mass, which is available in 17 Massachusetts communities including Hopkinton, offers five tiers of discounted pricing based on the total solar capacity contracted under the program. As more residents and businesses contract for solar, the price for solar energy drops. Solarize Mass is administered by MassCEC and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER).

“This is a bright day for Hopkinton residents and businesses,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia. “Solarize Mass and the 103 Green Communities are helping spread solar power across the 340 of 351 communities that now have at least one state-supported solar electricity project.”

The average Massachusetts household uses 667 kilowatt hours per month, equivalent to an average $100 monthly bill for traditional energy sources. By installing a solar electric system under the Solarize program, Hopkinton homeowners entered into contracts to purchase solar would pay $33.

A committee of Hopkinton volunteers and municipal officials selected a partnership between Framingham-based SolarFlair.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) today announced that the deadline for the Solarize Massachusetts program (Solarize Mass  has been extended to Nov. 4 due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy on the Commonwealth.
"With the storm bringing high winds and heavy rain to Massachusetts, we want to ensure that solar installers and home and business owners can safely execute contracts," said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt. "This will give homeowners and businesses extra time to focus on storm recovery while keeping the program open so they can still participate."
Solarize Mass is currently underway in Acton, Arlington, Boston, Hopkinton, Lenox, Lincoln, Melrose, Mendon, Millbury, Montague, Newburyport, Palmer, Pittsfield, Shirley, Sudbury, Sutton and Wayland.
“We want to make sure people will have some extra time to participate in this program following the devastating storm this week,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia. “We appreciate the work of the communities to get the word out to residents and businesses about the opportunity to lock in discounted solar pricing.”
Residents and business owners looking to sign a contract should contact their solar installer directly.
The program, designed to increase the adoption of solar energy and reduce the cost of solar energy, offers residents and businesses long-term discounted solar pricing and lower prices than traditional sources of fossil fuel-based energy generation, which is also costly to the environment and public health.
Solarize Mass, administered jointly by MassCEC and DOER, encourages the adoption of small scale solar PV systems by allowing residents and businesses to access a five-tiered, bulk purchasing program in their communities. As more people in a particular community contract for solar energy, the price drops for all involved.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) today announced the launch of the 2013 Solarize Massachusetts (Solarize Mass®) program. Communities wanting to participate in the grassroots marketing, education and group buying program can now submit applications.
The program designed to increase the adoption of solar energy, further reduce the overall cost of solar power – offers residents and businesses discounted pricing for solar. The more people sign up, the greater the savings for everyone.
“This bulk purchasing program not only saves residents and businesses money, it creates local jobs and expands our use of home-grown energy sources,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan.
“We’re excited to build on the momentum of last year’s program, which brought together state and local officials with residents, volunteers and the solar industry,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt. “By bringing everyone to the table, we were able to spread the word about the economic and environmental benefits of solar power.”
The program is open to all Massachusetts communities, including those designated by DOER as Green Communities, which meet five clean energy requirements and commit to reducing energy use by 20 percent.
“I expect the 2013 Solarize Mass program to build on the incredible growth in solar installations in Massachusetts last year,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia. “This community-based model will continue to make clean, renewable power available in homes and businesses in an exciting and accessible way.”
Individual cities, towns and groups of contiguous municipalities can apply by downloading a request for proposals and applying by Feb. 20
DOER will host a webinar detailing the program and answering questions at 1 p.m. on Jan. 23. To register for the webinar, visit https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/787928799
Last year, 17 cities and towns participated in the program, with 803 residents and businesses signing contracts to install solar electricity systems with the capacity to generate 5.1 megawatts of clean, renewable energy – enough to power the equivalent of 807 average Massachusetts homes annually.
The program was also directly responsible for the creation of 32 new jobs, boosting an already booming clean energy sector that saw 11.2 percent job growth in Massachusetts from 2011 to 2012, according to the 2012 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report.
Under the leadership of Governor Deval Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, Massachusetts set a goal of achieving 250 megawatts of solar PV by 2017. As a result of the Solarize Mass program and other incentives the state is more than halfway to its goal – with 194 megawatts of solar PV installed to date, the equivalent of powering 30,684 homes for a year or cutting the emissions equivalent to taking 20,858 cars off the road.
Massachusetts lies at the end of the energy pipeline – lacking indigenous supplies of coal, natural gas and oil. As a result, Massachusetts has some of the highest energy costs in the nation. Of the $22 billion Massachusetts spends annually on energy, $18 billion of that goes to out-of-state and foreign sources. Increasingly, the state’s base of renewable energy through programs like Solarize Mass keeps more of that money in the local economy, while creating jobs at the same time.

Communities from Williamstown to Bourne will participate in Solarize Mass (Solarize Mass®); program contracted hundreds of solar energy systems in 2012
Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan today announced the 10 communities that will participate in the first round of the 2013 Solarize Massachusetts program (Solarize Mass), a grassroots clean energy marketing, education and group-buying program.
The program – run by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) – is designed to increase the adoption of solar energy and further reduce the overall cost of solar power, and offers residents and businesses discounted pricing for solar. The more people in a particular community who participate, the greater the savings for everyone in that city or town.
“This year’s program will build on the success of the last two years, saving residents and businesses money while creating local jobs,” said Secretary Sullivan.
Participating in the first round of the 2013 Solarize Mass program are Bourne, Brookline, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Lee, Medford, Medway, Newton, Northampton and Williamstown. Carlisle and Chelmsford will be participating in the program as a group.
“This program brings together residents, local and state officials, and solar industry workers to form a truly grassroots effort,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton. “With everyone at the table, we can spread the word about the economic and environmental benefits of solar power across ten communities.”
“This new round of Solarize Mass continues to build on the clean energy leadership we’ve seen over and over again at the community level,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia. “When neighbors encourage neighbors, it creates local excitement and greater participation. This grassroots commitment is fueling Massachusetts leadership in energy efficiency, clean energy jobs growth, and renewable energy adoption.”
MassCEC and DOER will work with community volunteers and municipal representatives in each community to select a designated installer through a competitive bidding process. Eight of the communities participating in this round (Brookline, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Medford, Medway, Newton, Northampton and Williamstown) are Green Communities, a designation made by DOER to cities and towns that meet five clean energy requirements, including a commitment to reduce their energy use by 20 percent and to streamline the responsible siting of renewable energy such as solar photovoltaics. Bourne and Lee are the first non-Green Communities to participate in Solarize Mass since it first launched as a pilot program in 2011.
Last year, 17 cities and towns participated in Solarize Mass, with 749 residents and businesses signing contracts to install solar electricity systems with the capacity to generate 4.8 megawatts of clean, renewable energy – enough to power the equivalent of 719 average Massachusetts homes annually. During the 2012 Solarize Mass program, participating customers were able to purchase solar electricity systems for 20 percent less than the statewide average price at the beginning of the program. The program last year also created at least 32 new jobs.
Due to state renewable energy incentive programs like Solarize Mass, residential solar electricity prices dropped 28 percent in Massachusetts in 2012, according to a report issued by the Solar Energy Industries Association in March 2013. This was the second biggest drop in the nation last year.
Under the leadership of Governor Deval Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray, Massachusetts set a goal of achieving 250 megawatts of solar PV by 2017. As a result of the Solarize Mass program and other incentives, the state is close to reaching its goal – with 243 megawatts of solar electricity installed to date, the equivalent of powering 38,000 homes for a year.
Massachusetts sits at the end of the energy pipeline, spending billions of dollars annually to import all of its fossil fuel based energy sources from places like South America, Canada, and the Middle East. That is lost economic opportunity that Massachusetts stands poised to reclaim through investments in home-grown renewable energy programs like Solarize.
 
About Solarize Mass
Solarize Mass, which is a partnership between MassCEC and DOER’s Green Communities Division, is a grassroots model that encourages the adoption of small scale solar projects.  Follow the Twitter hash tag #SolarizeMass for more information.

Solarize Mass created 32 jobs, 5.1 megawatts, Southwick’s Zoo among projects

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) today announced that 802 residents and businesses signed contracts to install solar electricity systems as part of the 2012 Solarize Massachusetts Program (Solarize Mass), which concluded Nov. 4.

The systems contracted through Solarize Mass constitute 5.1 megawatts of clean, renewable energy that will generate enough electricity to power 807 Massachusetts homes annually. The program also created 32 jobs, fueling an already expanding clean energy sector. 

“The response to Solarize Mass this year was incredible,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan. “Together with industry, government and the community at the table, this program helped hundreds of residents and businesses across the Commonwealth generate reliable, local sources of energy, while saving money in the process.”

The group buying program, designed to increase the adoption of solar energy and reduce its cost, offered residents and businesses discounted pricing for solar. The more people sign up, the lower the price drops.

“Others are duplicating this innovative program, which empowers communities to advocate for and take advantage of cost-effective, clean and local sources of energy for residents and businesses,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt. “Saving money while avoiding the environmental and public health impacts of fossil-fuel based generation is an absolute win-win for the economy and the environment.”

This year, 17 communities – Acton, Arlington, Boston, Hopkinton, Lenox, Lincoln, Melrose, Mendon, Millbury, Montague, Newburyport, Palmer, Pittsfield, Shirley, Sudbury, Sutton and Wayland – participated in Solarize Mass, which encourages the adoption of small scale solar PV systems by allowing residents and businesses to access a five-tiered, bulk purchasing program in their communities. The communities are all Green Communities, a designation made by the Department of Energy Resources to communities that meet five clean energy requirements, including a commitment to reduce their energy use by 20 percent.

“Thanks to these leading Green Communities, affordable solar energy is available on Main Streets across Massachusetts,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia.

Arlington was the single community with the most contracts signed for the largest capacity, with 157 residents and businesses signing contracts for an expected generation of 718 kilowatts.

Contracts signed and capacity for other communities was:

Among the projects contracted as part of Solarize Mass this year is an 11.5 kilowatt system on the roof of the Southwick’s Zoo Gift Shop in Mendon.

"We're thrilled to take part in the Solarize Massachusetts program," said Southwick's Zoo Curator of Conservation and Education Betsey Brewer. "Having the solar panels in such a visible location will help us fulfill our mission of conservation, research and education."

“The Southwick’s Zoo project is one example of the way solar energy can be adopted across the Commonwealth,” said Matt Arner, president of SolarFlair, the Framingham-based company that will install the system. “We’re excited to take part in this project, which we hope will increase awareness of the solar potential here in Massachusetts.”

The installers participating in the Solarize Mass program – Astrum Solar, New England Clean Energy, Next Step Living with Roof Diagnostics, Northeast Solar Design Associates, Second Generation Energy, SolarCity, SolarFlair and SunBug Solar – hired 32 employees as a direct result of the Solarize Mass program, with more hires expected during the installation process.

Clean energy jobs in Massachusetts have grown by 11.2 percent from 2011 to 2012, according to the 2012 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report.

Under the leadership of Governor Deval Patrick, Massachusetts set a goal of achieving 250 megawatts of solar PV by 2017. As a result of the Solarize Mass program and other incentives, the state is more than halfway to its goal – with 174 megawatts of solar PV installed to date (not including the Solarize Mass commitments), the equivalent of powering 27,521 homes for a year or cutting the emissions equivalent to taking 18,708 cars of the road.

Massachusetts lies at the end of the energy pipeline – lacking indigenous supplies of coal, natural gas and oil. As a result, Massachusetts has some of the highest energy costs in the nation. Of the $22 billion Massachusetts spends annually on energy, $18 billion of that goes to out-of-state and foreign sources. Increasingly, the state’s base of renewable energy through programs like Solarize Mass keeps more of that money in the local economy, while creating jobs at the same time.

As part of a statewide effort to reach Governor Patrick's goal of 250 megawatts (MW) of solar power installed by 2017, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) today launched the second round of its Solarize Massachusetts (Solarize Mass) program. MassCEC is now accepting applications from designated Green Communities interested in participating in Solarize Mass, which encourages residents and business owners to adopt solar photovoltaic (PV) technology through a program model that includes grassroots marketing, education and group purchasing.

“Today you’ll find solar projects in 328 out of our 351 cities and towns. This growth is not by accident, its happened under the leadership of Governor Patrick through a suite of policies and programs designed to grow the state’s solar business sector and put the cost of solar power within the reach of more people than ever before,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr., who chairs MassCEC’s board of directors and whose office includes DOER. “Solarize Massachusetts will take these efforts to a new level, catalyzing wider adoption of solar energy and greater energy independence through the power of community connections.”

The Solarize Mass Pilot, which launched in the spring of 2011, deployed a grassroots, volunteer-driven effort that is bringing solar power to 162 Massachusetts homes at discounted rates. By utilizing grassroots organizing, civic engagement, bulk purchasing, and educational outreach, the towns of Harvard, Hatfield, Scituate and Winchester helped their communities install a total of 829 kW of solar energy. The solar capacity installed through the Solarize Mass Pilot will save 651 metric tons of CO2 annually. During their lifetimes, these PV systems will save over 13,000 metric tons of CO2, equivalent to the emissions of more than 2,500 cars.

“Solarize Mass was incredibly successful in the first four towns and is empowering residents to drive growth of solar in their own communities, while helping us reach Governor Patrick’s solar energy goals,” said MassCEC Chief Executive Officer Patrick Cloney, “By spurring engagement and encouraging neighbor-to-neighbor advocacy for solar energy education and adoption, we look forward to helping more communities across Massachusetts become vibrant solar towns.”

MassCEC, in partnership with the Green Communities Division of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) today launched the second iteration of Solarize Mass. MassCEC and DOER will select at least ten communities to participate. Selected communities will be announced in mid March. MassCEC will then issue 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. For each of the Solarize Mass communities, the chosen installer will partner with MassCEC and the community to provide free solar site assessments, different ownership (or financing) models, and installation services.

MassCEC will provide education and marketing support to help the selected communities implement a community-wide solar PV program for residential and small-scale commercial projects. MassCEC will provide technical support and host free educational meetings in the communities to educate people about the benefits of installing solar and to drive interest in implementing the technology.

On February 27 MassCEC will hold a bidder’s conference for green communities interested in applying to Solarize Mass. The bidder’s conference will take place at Volunteers Hall at the Harvard Library at 4 Pond Road in Harvard at 2:00 p.m. and will also be broadcast via webinar. Communities interested in applying should participate to learn more about the program, hear from the communities that participated in the first Solarize Mass pilot, and to get their questions answered by Solarize Mass staff.

Click here to download the Solarize Mass RFP to Green Communities.

To register for the webinar visit: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/410326122

To RSVP for the live meeting email your contact information to solarize@masscec.com  

“It is exciting to see this program extend to more of our Green Communities, which are already leading the way in Massachusetts with their commitments to energy reduction and development of clean energy technologies,” DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia said.  “Solarize Massachusetts provides another opportunity for cities and towns to strengthen their commitment to a cleaner energy future.”

As a result of the Commonwealth Solar rebate programs launched in 2008 and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for solar on water treatment facilities and other public buildings, Massachusetts saw a more than 20-fold increase in solar PV installations between 2007 and 2011. Currently, there are nearly 77 MW of solar energy installed in Massachusetts, and an additional 40 MW under contract for installation, up from 3.5 MW when Governor Patrick took office.

The Commonwealth Solar rebate programs also helped spur a vibrant solar industry in Massachusetts. Overall, clean energy jobs are growing in Massachusetts according to the 2011 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report, which finds a total of 4,909 clean energy businesses in Massachusetts that employ more than 64,000 workers. These companies reported a 6.7 percent job growth rate from July 2010 to July 2011. Solar energy is the most prominent renewable energy technology area for Massachusetts clean energy companies, with more than two in three renewable energy employers working with solar energy technologies.