Solarize Mass. Shelburne-Colrain-Conway is hosting three “Meet the Installer” get-togethers for business owners and town residents who are interested in buying solar photovoltaic systems at a group discount price.
The first gathering is Thursday, July 7, at 6:30 p.m. in the Buckland Shelburne Elementary School cafeteria. The school is located at 75 Mechanic St. in Shelburne Falls. The second meeting takes place Tuesday, July 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the Colrain Central School, at 22 Jacksonville Road, and the third meeting is on Wednesday, July 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the Conway Town Hall, at 5 Academy Hill. Residents and business owners from any of the three collaborative towns may attend any of these meetings.
John Ward and Claire Chang, co-owners of The Solar Store in Greenfield, will explain how solar site assessments can determine whether a property receives enough sunlight for an efficient solar PV system.
They will also show participants how to analyze electricity bills and determine the present and future power needs for an appropriately-sized solar PV system. Participants will also learn about tax credits, solar renewable energy credits, net metering and the state Solar Loan Program offered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Organizers hope people will also leave with a better understanding of the total projected cost of a 5-kilowatt PV system and the approximate length of time it will take to recover that cost through energy savings.
Also, participants will be able to sign up for a free solar site assessment at the end of the meeting.
“The beauty of this Solarize project is that participants can get started right away, without waiting to assemble the group needed to secure the lowest price,” said Brice Hereford, Conway’s solar coach. Unlike other Solarize groups, this three-town collaborative secured the top-tier discount price from the Solar Store up front, “so we can get going quickly,” he said.
Although the 30-percent federal tax credit for solar PV systems is in place though 2019, how long the state’s solar renewable energy credit incentive program will be available is less certain. “The sooner you complete your solar PV installation, the more likely you are to secure the incentives that are known today,” said Shelburne solar coach John Walsh.
For more information, visit the Solar Store of Greenfield, at 2 Fiske Ave., or go to solarizemassshelburnecolrainconway.wordpress.com to sign up for a free solar assessment.