Solarize OKC to Launch Local Bulk-Purchase Solar Campaign With Community Opening Event on May 10

Local Coalition Chooses Installer Partner Through Competitive Bidding;

Opportunity for Public To Enroll in Unique Group-Purchasing Discount

OKLAHOMA CITY — A new coalition of local organizations is launching Solarize OKC, a unique community-based campaign that makes solar energy and battery storage more affordable to participants through group purchasing.

Don’t miss your chance to install solar energy infrastructure at your home or business – you’ll save more than ever with the combined purchasing power of other OKC residents and a new federal tax credit.

A virtual/local launch event will take place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, at Belle Isle Library, 5501 N Villa Ave. This kickoff event will feature:

Remarks from Ward 2 Oklahoma City Councilperson James Cooper;
Representatives from multiple community organizations who developed and support Solarize OKC;
Experts in solar energy from the locally selected installer company chosen via competitive bidding;
Information about the benefits of solar energy and battery storage; and
How local homeowners and businesses can enroll for a free assessment of their property through Solarize OKC.

“Increasing education opportunities around solar energy is a stated policy recommendation in our sustainability plan, adaptokc,” said City Councilperson Cooper. “Additionally, more solar activity in Oklahoma City creates quality local jobs, saves residents money, and supports local businesses with resilient power supplies. I’m grateful Solarize OKC’s inclusive program design ensures low- and moderate-income residents also have opportunities to reduce their home’s electricity costs.”

The local Solarize coalition – consisting of multiple local government and stakeholder organizations – will help residents and businesses reduce barriers and costs to solar energy, and the community’s carbon footprint.

Solarize OKC is open to all property owners in Oklahoma City and follows a campaign model that has been successful in more than 300 other communities in the U.S. Many OKC residents and businesses are in Oklahoma City even though they have a mailing address for a suburb – visit okc.gov/citylimits to see if your home or business is in Oklahoma City.

Based on a tiered “bulk” purchasing platform, the more local residents and business owners that contract for their solar installations through the campaign, the greater the savings are for all. Solarize OKC will include in its focus equitable workforce development in the solar energy industry and affordability initiatives.

Media are invited for interviews before or after the public meeting.

Following a rigorous evaluation process conducted in Oklahoma City, the Solarize OKC Coalition selected EightTwenty to provide local property owners with this volume purchasing opportunity. A representative from the company and other local solar advocates will be among the participants in this special launch event.

"EightTwenty is thrilled to partner with Solarize OKC to harness the sun and empower Oklahoma homeowners, businesses and nonprofits to live solar," said Tony Capucille, CEO of EightTwenty. "Our company has an unwavering commitment to deliver our customers quality products with respect and focus. We look forward to bringing this same level of attention and care to each project completed in coordination with the Coalition and continuing to provide our community with clean, reliable and cost-effective energy solutions for years to come."

Once the campaign opens on May 10, home and business owners will have a limited time to access the special prices made available through the campaign. Valuable federal tax credits are available and can provide 26 percent in additional savings in 2022.

The goal of Solarize OKC’s launch event and the overall Solarize OKC campaign is to help local residents save money by becoming familiar with these incentives and programs, learn the benefits of solar energy and battery storage systems, and get a free, customized solar evaluation and estimate from a trusted source.

Following the launch, Solarize OKC will further sponsor a series of clean energy education and community outreach events to help increase local participation and encourage all solar and battery installations to be complete by Summer 2023.

Solarize campaigns have been adopted in numerous communities around the country since their inception in 2009 as a method to help local residents “go solar” together. Solarize OKC is the first such campaign of its kind in Oklahoma City.

Several individual property owners have already signed up for a free solar evaluation since the campaign began accepting advance registrations. Interested residents and businesses may go to www.solarizeOKC.com now to learn more, receive advance information on campaign details, register for the May 10 launch event and sign up for a free evaluation. Descriptions of tiered pricing and equipment options will be forthcoming as well as details about valuable energy tax credits that can be applied in 2022.

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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 residents and businesses is the campaign’s goal.