A partnership of Climate Action Now, Co-op Power, Community Action, and Mothers Out Front, has received a seed grant to expand the benefits of solar electricity to those who have not previously had access—people who can’t afford the up-front costs, who are renters, or who have shaded roofs, as well as nonprofit organizations ineligible for the tax credit thus making solar unaffordable.
Our project is called Rays the Valley and is focused on residents and nonprofit organization in Hampshire and Franklin Counties with National Grid or Eversource as their electric utility. We aim to contract for 2.5 Megawatts of solar in the next 18 months: this is a very ambitious project!!
We will be offering three models for making solar more affordable:
1) Direct individual ownership in Community Shared Solar (CSS) that can be financed via the Massachusetts Solar Loan Program (which has special principal reduction provisions for Low and Moderate Income households). Direct ownership provides a net 40-55% electricity savings over 20 years.
2) A Co-op Power CSS Subscription (also called a Net-Metering Credit Purchase Agreement) – with no money down, and a net 15-20% electricity savings for individuals/households.
3) A Co-op Power Subscription (or Net-Metering Credit Purchase Agreement) with no money down, and 15-20% electricity savings for nonprofit organizations with suitable roofs or parking lots where solar arrays could be mounted.
Please spread the word!
People interested in receiving the benefits of solar under this program, please contact Mark Skinder at mark@cooppower.coop, or call (413) 772-8898: ext 3
If you know of sites that could host a solar array (such as a rooftop or parking lot, or unused nonagricultural land, contact Mark Skinder at mark@cooppower.coop, or call (413) 772-8898: ext 3
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS: We need volunteers to add to our leads on sites suitable for solar arrays in Franklin and Hampshire Counties, eg on land fills, unused non-agricultural land, parking lots and rooftops of nonprofit organizations, storage facilities, warehouses, etc. If interested in scouting out more locations for Community Shared Solar, please contact:Nancy Felton or Joel Dansky at feltondansky@verizon.net