FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 24, 2022
OKLAHOMA CITY — A new local renewable energy coalition is seeking bids from solar contractors for an Oklahoma City program that will make solar energy investments more affordable for homeowners, businesses and nonprofits.
Solarize OKC issued a request for proposals from area solar-energy design and installation companies for its 2022 group-purchasing program. The deadline for bidders to respond is April 15. The request for proposal document is available here.
Solarize OKC is a community-based group-purchasing program for solar energy, battery storage and other clean-energy technologies. This initiative will help homeowners, businesses and nonprofits become more resilient, reduce energy expenses, and save on the cost of renewable-energy systems by obtaining volume discounts on materials and installation services. Solarize campaigns are driven by community group purchasing. The more participants who enroll, the greater the savings for all.
Solarize OKC is seeking competitive bids from the local solar community to ensure best-in-class materials are installed by qualified solar professionals for the lowest price.
“Our goal is to help bring awareness to our community of the benefits of solar-energy and battery-storage systems and to make it easy to receive a free proposal from a trusted source,” said Lindsey Pever, President, Oklahoma Solar Association.
“Then via community-based bulk purchasing, we can achieve volume price reductions for materials and installation,” Pever said.
Coalition organizations involved in developing and partnering together to ensure Solarize OKC is a success include: RestoreOKC, the City of Oklahoma City’s Office of Sustainability, the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG), the Oklahoma Solar Association, OKC Beautiful, the Oklahoma Renewable Energy Council, the Oklahoma Compost and Sustainability Association (OCASA), Fertile Ground Cooperative and Solar Crowdsource.
Solar energy is clean, makes homes and businesses more climate-resilient and can stimulate local economic growth. Going solar can also reduce energy and economic burdens for low- and moderate-income residents.
Beyond more affordable electricity bills and increased renewable energy adoption, among the campaign’s goals are to create pathways for local residents to get green jobs and provide deeper cost reductions for low- and moderate-income residents.
Bid Meeting
Campaign organizers will hold a virtual bid conference via Zoom on at 10:30 a.m. March 29. Prospective bidders are encouraged to attend this meeting to get an overview of the campaign and participate in a Q&A session. Registration here is required.
Once an installer is selected, Solarize OKC will 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. All solar and battery installations are expected to be completed by June 30, 2023.
"Oklahoma City is breaking local records every year for the number of electrical permits issued for rooftop solar," said T.O. Bowman, Program Planner leading the City's Office of Sustainability.
"The coalition is using this opportunity to connect residents to both important consumer protection information and to affordable, resilient power at their homes and businesses by leveraging the power of group purchasing," Bowman said.
Solarize Oklahoma City is now accepting advance registrations for the upcoming program. Interested residents may go to solarizeokc.com to learn more about the program and sign up in advance to be first in line for a free evaluation.
About Solarize Oklahoma City: Solarize Oklahoma City is a campaign forged and supported by a local public-private coalition involving RestoreOKC, the City of Oklahoma City’s Office of Sustainability, the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG), the Oklahoma Solar Association, OKC Beautiful, the Oklahoma Renewable Energy Council, the Oklahoma Compost and Sustainability Association (OCASA), Fertile Ground Cooperative and Solar Crowdsource. Lowering 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 residents is the goal of the campaign, which will launch in May 2022.
Contact:
Natalie Evans
(405) 525-8822
Ken Haldin
(404) 405-2924
