Lowell MA : DEEP DISCOUNTED solar energy opportunity
Hey all--
I am hoping to raise your awareness of a State-run program happening at this very moment in Lowell, MA.
FYI that this is NOT a sales pitch-- I am making NO money; pricing already has been determined and locked in by the State as described below, and no commissions whatsoever are being offered here. I am only letting people know.
Recently, Lowell was chosen by the Commonwealth of Mass to participate in the State's SOLARIZE MASS PLUS program. I am a recent volunteer for this program, and it is open to everyone. Yes, everyone who lives, owns, or rents property in the City of Lowell can participate in this program. The group is called SOLARIZE LOWELL.
Long story short, an RFP managed by the Mass. Dept. of Energy Resources, Mass. Clean Energy Center, and the City of Lowell selected a vendor for the program on a city-wide basis. Based on the principles of higher volume, the company is able to offer bulk pricing to the participants. This discount, on top of the utility savings, and State credits makes this extra-attractive at the moment, especially as SRECs are vanishing.
FYI too-- This is NOT a PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) and Leasing is not offered either-- these are Panels to be owned by you. Financing is also available. Mass Save is involved and the rates are attractive; low income loans are also offered. We're working with a number of lenders covering the spectrum from HELOCs to personal loans.
There are three components/opportunities for installs and upgrades in the Solarize Lowell program: ROOFTOP SOLAR, HEAT PUMPS, and a COMMUNITY SOLAR offering.
Most of us are familiar with rooftop solar by now: when the property is a feasible candidate for this, you install solar panels on your roof. Many here are familiar with both sections of a utility bill: Generation (power itself) and Distribution (use/maintenance of wires poles, admin, services, etc.) When Solar is on your roof, both of those go away: you are both generating your own power and there are no wires or poles in-play.
COMMUNITY SOLAR can take a few different forms, but under the program proposed here it is the same thing as rooftop solar... you own the panels, except they're not on your roof. They're in a commercial site, a meadow, on a retailer's roof, etc. My understanding is that you'll still get the distribution charge, but since YOU own the "power plant," that generation fee goes away. This allows people to cut their bill by appx. 1/2 based on same utility usage. It also opens the door to clean energy for the following typically solar-challenged neighbors:
Condo/Apartment dwellers
Historic Homes/Districts
Property issues-- Slate roofs, structural concerns etc.
Small businesses (including tenancies)
Properties without sufficient sunlight
People who, for one reason or another, don't like the panels on their structure.
HEAT PUMPS for heating and cooling are also being offered at a discount.
Again, it's only offered to Lowell properties, but it IS offered to everyone, including investors, businesses, etc. I recommend you check it out.
I'm happy to field questions here, but you'll be equally-well (probably better) served by going to the Solarize Lowell website and signing up for an assessment with the team.
ALSO if you own property in Lowell, and you're interested in hosting a Community Solar site, you can reach out to me, too.
Finally, if you're in another City or Town, you should check out the Solarize Mass page at the Mass. Clean Energy Center's website. Another recent Town that already went through the program was Amherst MA, so if anyone's out there who completed it, you'd be doing a service here by speaking up-- We'd love to hear from you.
Hope this helps some and maybe spurs some conversation for others in towns across the Commonwealth and beyond.
Steve