Madison County solar program generates interest

MORRISVILLE — With interest exceeding expectations, Solarize Madison is still going strong and accepting registrations until Sept. 30 for those wishing to benefit from the program’s discounted pricing.

Solarize Madison provides a discount on solar installations and offers community members a step-by-step educational process to learn about solar systems. Registrants receive a free size assessment to determine solar suitability and up to a 50 percent discount through the program’s tiered pricing.

Since the program launched in June, more than 150 Madison County residents have registered and 17 have contracted to install a solar system, according to the program.

This year, Madison County has two completed installations and five approved applications for a total of 40.5 kilowatts of new solar power. Since Solarize Madison launched, the county has contracted to install 95.5 kilowatts of new solar power, exceeding the 93 kilowatts installed over the past eight years.

Solarize Madison is funded, in part, through the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board through the Central New York Climate Change Innovation Program (C2IP). C2IP provided Madison County with up to $30,000 to promote the use of energy conservation and alternative energy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Madison County Planning Department is using the funding to offer 15 $2,000 grants to homeowners to help offset the acquisition costs associated with installing a direct-own, solar-photovoltaic system in addition to the reduced prices achieved through volume purchasing. While all 15 grants have been claimed, there are still state and federal tax incentives as well as incentives through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

Interested residents can visit www.solarizemadison.com to learn more about the program.

Contact DeLore at tdelore@tmvbj.com