Solarize Madison program provides discounted solar panels

WAMPSVILLE — In an unprecedented initiative, residents in Madison County will be able to take advantage of reduced prices for solar panels as part of the Solarize Madison program. The Madison County Planning Department, in conjunction with the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board and Morrisville State College, created the program as a way to gather residents interested in installing solar panels at their homes or businesses to take advantage of collective assistance and lower prices. Using a $30,000 Climate Change Innovation Program demonstration grant, Solarize Madison will provide a $2,000 incentive for the first 15 residential customers to sign up for the program. Recognizing the difficulty people face using solar energy, Planning Director Scott Ingmire said Solarize Madison will help participants get over those hurdles. “The Solarize Madison program offers cost savings through volume purchasing and a streamlined installation process,” he said. Out of the 98 solar installers that received the county’s request for proposals for the services they could provide for the program, nine responded. Arista Power of Rochester and ETM Solar Works based in Endicott were contracted by the county. The decision was based on the price, project approach and expertise of the companies, Ingmire said. The two companies will provide different options for participants. ETM leases residential solar installations while Arista sells residential, commercial and agricultural arrays. “We are proud to be part of the solution for increasing energy independence in Madison County,” Arista Power Project Manager John Benetti said. “Solarize is an initiative that has been gaining interest across the country by progressive communities that want to bring solar power and all of its benefits to their constituents in a cost effective and easy way.” Similar projects have been done in other states, Madison County is the first in New York to take this approach. Morrisville State College student Jan Myers is credited with being instrumental in bringing the project to Madison County. “The Solarize model has a tremendous amount of potential and goes beyond just reducing the costs of solar,” she said. “The program symbolizes market transformation. We are changing the way we view renewable energy technologies, the way we interact with them and the way we do business with them. “The more people have a say in programs and can benefit from them financially, the less resistance there will be in the future. Solarize Madison effectively combines an education program and an action plan to unite our community in a positive way for one common goal: clean and affordable energy for a sustainable future.” A handful of informational sessions are scheduled in June. By the end of September, Ingmire hopes to have all interested participants signed up with the program. The more people that become involved, the greater the cost savings will be for each individual. Question and answer sessions for the program are scheduled to be held: o June 18 at the Cazenovia Public Library form 7-9 p.m. o June 19 at the Sullivan Free Library from 7-9 p.m. o June 21 at the Hamilton High School (LGI Room) from 7-9 p.m. o June 25 at the Oneida Public Library from 6-8 p.m. o June 27 at the Cornell Cooperative Extension office in Morrisville from 7-9 p.m. o June 28 at the DeRuyter Public Library from 7-9 p.m.