The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center launched the second round of its Solarize Massachusetts program in February and held a bidder’s conference Monday at Volunteers Hall in the Harvard Public Library for prospective participants. Harvard’s Jim Elkind gave a presentation at the meeting and answered questions about Harvard’s experience and success in the program.
MassCEC is now accepting applications from designated Green Communities interested in participating in Solarize Mass, which, according to MassCEC, encourages residents and business owners to adopt solar photovoltaic technology through a program model that includes grassroots marketing, education, and group purchasing.
“Today you’ll find solar projects in 328 out of our 351 cities and towns. This growth is not by accident; it’s happened under the leadership of Governor Patrick through a suite of policies and programs designed to grow the state’s solar business sector and put the cost of solar power within the reach of more people than ever before,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr., who chairs MassCEC’s board of directors, in a statement earlier this month. “Solarize Massachusetts will take these efforts to a new level, catalyzing wider adoption of solar energy and greater energy independence through the power of community connections.”
By using grassroots organizing, civic engagement, bulk purchasing, and educational outreach, the MassCEC says, the towns of Harvard, Hatfield, Scituate, and Winchester helped their communities install 829 kilowatts of solar energy. The solar capacity installed through the Solarize Mass Pilot will save 651 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, the MassCEC says.
“Solarize Mass was incredibly successful in the first four towns and is empowering residents to drive growth of solar in their own communities, while helping us reach Governor Patrick’s solar energy goals,” said MassCEC Chief Executive Officer Patrick Cloney in the press release. “By spurring engagement and encouraging neighbor-to-neighbor advocacy for solar energy education and adoption, we look forward to helping more communities across Massachusetts become vibrant solar towns.”
