Free Evening Public Information Session Set for Oct. 18 Online 

The regionwide community-based group-buying program known as Solarize the Triangle has rapidly reached its 3rd price tier based on early commitments from property owners in the Triangle region to purchase new renewable energy systems for their homes. 

The Triangle Sustainability Partnership, a recently formed local government partnership of 11 communities, forged the program to enable residents and businesses to save on the ordinary cost of solar energy and battery power through combined purchasing with others across the Triangle plus the availability of a federal tax credit.

The more residents and business owners who contract for solar installations through the program, the more savings accrue for all participants. The 3rd price tier in the program ($2.95/watt) was reached through initial contracts totaling 252.40 kW. Once these installations are activated, 473,502 lbs. of CO2 in the Triangle region will be avoided – the equivalent of more than 27 homes' energy use for one year. 

All homeowners who purchase during the campaign, regardless of when, will be provided with the lowest-price ($2.68 /watt) if Tier 8 is reached. Enrollment – which is to simply sign up – is underway now through Dec. 31 at www.solarizethetriangle.com. 

In addition, the federal government’s newly passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) means that federal tax credits have increased to 30 percent in savings for newly installed solar energy systems and batteries. 

To help local property owners – both residential and business owners – learn more about the program’s many dimensions, Solarize the Triangle campaign organizers and Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle have scheduled a free, virtual, informational event to learn more about going solar for your home and faith community. This online learning session is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 7-8 p.m.  This special online Information Session will feature: 

• An overview of Solarize the Triangle's group-purchase bulk-discount program 

• How to take advantage of all the incentives for solar available to residents, nonprofits, and businesses 
• Info about the benefits of solar and batteries and how to enroll for a free assessment 
• Your questions and answers from subject-matter experts 

Register for this free event here. 

 Throughout this 2022 campaign, the Partnership will continue to offer 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. 

 Interested property owners may go to solarizethetriangle.com to learn more about the program and sign up for a free, no-obligation evaluation. All solar and battery installations are expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2023. 

 The objectives of the regional program include: 

• Making solar energy more affordable: lower the cost of solar energy through the power of group-purchasing and reduced acquisition costs. Savings passed to residents of the Triangle region; 
• Making solar energy more accessible: contractor(s), materials and pricing will be highly vetted for best practices using a competitive bid process; 
• Education and community engagement: widespread community engagement, education and outreach activities through town hall meetings, workshops, solar “open house” gatherings, and outreach through local community groups and events; 
• Promoting solar-positive policies: encourage local governments to adopt streamlined solar energy permitting policies and fair utility distributed generation policies; and 

• Giving back: Solarize the Triangle and selected contractors will use a portion of campaign proceeds to donate a solar energy system to a deserving local nonprofit organization and/or help to underwrite solar-energy systems for qualified low- and moderate-income families with high energy burdens. 

Solarize campaigns are driven by community group purchasing. Based on a tiered “bulk” purchasing concept, the more local residents and business owners who contract for their solar installations through the program, the more savings accrue to all participating property owners. 

 Helping to facilitate the program on behalf of the members is The Triangle J Council of Governments and Solar Crowdsource. The program’s installer, selected through a rigorous vetting process, is Yes Solar Solutions, a Cary-based, fully-licensed NC general contractor with more than 1,600 projects installed. 

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 About Solarize the Triangle: Solarize the Triangle is a campaign developed via the Triangle J Council of Governments. Communities involved include: Chatham County, City of Raleigh, Durham County, City of Durham, Town of Cary, Town of Chapel Hill, Town of Hillsborough, Town of Carrboro, Town of Apex, Town of Morrisville and Orange County. 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 objective of the campaign, which launched in August 2022.  

Contacts:

Emily Barrett 

ebarrett@tjcog.org 

Ken Haldin 

ken@solarcrowdsource.com 

(404) 405-2924