Affordable Renewable Energy Coming to City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Through New Group-Purchase Program; Solar Installer Proposals Sought

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE         April 29, 2025

Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg, a new local partnership of the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, the Town of Davidson, and Centralina Regional Council, is seeking bids from solar installation contractors for a region-wide group-purchasing program to help provide clean-energy technology to local residents, businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg is a community-based program to make solar energy, battery storage, and other clean-energy technology more affordable for area property owners during 2025. The unique, time-limited campaign will offer pathways to assist homeowners, businesses and nonprofits in becoming more resilient, reducing energy expenses, and saving on the cost of renewable energy systems by obtaining volume discounts on materials and installation services.

A Request for Proposals (RFP) was published April 28, 2025, to welcome solar energy design and installation companies to participate in the Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg program. The deadline for bidding firms to respond is Tuesday, May 27, at 5 p.m. EST. The entire Request for Proposals document is available.

The objectives of the new Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg program are to:

• Make solar energy more affordable by lowering the cost of solar energy through the power of group-purchasing and reduced acquisition costs. Those savings will be passed on to residents and businesses of Mecklenburg County; 
• Make solar energy more accessible with predetermined, highly vetted materials, pricing and contractor(s) selected through a competitive bid process;
• Engage the community with widespread awareness, education and outreach activities such as community meetings, workshops, solar “open house” gatherings, and information provided through local community groups and events; and
• Promote solar-positive policies by encouraging local governments to adopt streamlined solar energy permitting and fair utility-distributed generation policies as well as advance greenhouse gas reduction goals, clean-energy production, workforce development opportunities and other community policy objectives.

As a community-based group-purchasing program, Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg is set to launch publicly in June 2025. Solarize campaigns are driven by community group purchasing. The more participants who purchase solar energy systems or batteries, the greater the savings for all.

BIDDER INFORMATION

Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s RFP is designed to differentiate and ultimately select a qualified firm that ensures best-in-class materials are installed by qualified solar professionals for the lowest price through volume purchasing. Detailed criteria for selecting a company have been set forth in the RFP.

Organizers of the program will hold a virtual pre-bid meeting via Zoom at 11 a.m. EST, Thursday, May 8. Prospective bidders are encouraged to attend this meeting to get an overview of the campaign and participate in a Q&A session. Registration is required to receive a link to the virtual meeting.

Once an installer firm is selected, Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg will launch publicly and begin to offer a series of clean-energy education and outreach events with a goal of increasing participation through a better understanding of rooftop solar components, suitability assessment considerations and contract provisions.

Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg is now accepting advance registrations for the upcoming campaign. Interested property owners may go to SolarizeCharMeck.com to learn more about the program, sign up in advance of the launch and become the first in line for a free evaluation following the public launch. There is no obligation to enroll. Detailed pricing and equipment information will become available once the program gets underway.

Community-based organizations in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region are also encouraged to become involved in promoting the campaign and the opportunity among residents, neighborhoods and organization members and supporters. Email admin@solarizecharmeck.com for more information on how to do so.

About Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg: Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg is a community-based campaign developed to help lower the cost of solar energy and battery-storage installations through the power of bulk purchasing, reducing contractor acquisition costs and transferring those savings to residential and commercial buyers. Communities involved include: the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and Town of Davidson along with others that may join. The Centralina Regional Council and Solar CrowdSource are facilitating the program, which is planned to launch in June 2025. 

Media Contacts:

For SolarCrowdsource:

Ken Haldin

ken@solarcrowdsource.com

(404) 405-2924