Twenty-five Harvard homeowners are generating clean solar power from their rooftops as a result of the Solarize Harvard program, representing more than one-third of the total systems to be installed, Mark Durrenberger, president of New England Breeze Solar, announced this week.
In all, New England Breeze Solar will install systems on more than 70 homes, representing approximately 400 kilowatts of solar power. These customers will collectively save around $25,000 a year in electricity costs, Durrenberger said.
When all installations are complete, one in 20 Harvard homes will be generating solar power, by far the highest adoption rate of any town in Massachusetts. Although not officially under the Solarize Harvard program, several residents also installed solar hot water systems on their homes as a result of what they learned during the pilot program.
“This milestone is significant for everyone involved,” Durrenberger said in a statement released this week. “But none of it would have happened without the progressive attitude of everyone in Harvard. The town should serve as an inspiration to other towns and cities looking to reduce their carbon footprint and dependence on imported energy.”
“New England Breeze Solar made investing in solar very easy to understand and execute. The level of skill and professionalism the crew displayed was unmatched in any serious renovation project I have done yet. The system is working very well and will provide about half my family’s needs,” said Tom Williams, the first Harvard customer to sign on to Solarize Harvard, in the same statement.
Solarize Harvard is part of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Solarize Massachusetts pilot program, which was launched in June 2011 in the towns of Harvard, Hatfield, Scituate, and Winchester. The goal of the pilot was to increase adoption of solar electric systems by essentially offering volume discounts that meant lower prices for communities buying multiple installations.
