Chatham County will join 10 communities as the Triangle Sustainability Partnership will publicly launch its regionwide community-based group-buying program on August 10, 2022. The public is invited to a free event at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Individuals will learn more about solar-energy options for local residents, businesses, and non-profit organizations.
Solarize the Triangle is a unique campaign which allows residents and businesses to save on the cost of a system through combined purchasing with others in the Triangle plus the availability of a federal tax credit.
“Chatham County is proud to participate in the Solarize the Triangle Campaign,” said Chatham County Manager Dan LaMontagne. “By making it easier for our homeowners and businesses to go solar, the campaign supports our goal of promoting clean, renewable energy, making Chatham County one of the coolest places to live in North Carolina and in America.”
The launch celebration will feature:
- Representatives from the Partnership that developed and support Solarize the Triangle
- Experts in solar energy from the locally selected installer company chosen via competitive bidding
- Live music and painting by Little Red Birds. A portion of proceeds from the evening’s event art-auction sales will be dedicated to supporting solar energy for qualified low-income families
- Details about the benefits of solar energy and battery storage, and
- How one can enroll for a free solar-energy assessment of their residence or place of business through Solarize the Triangle.
Solarize the Triangle is a community-based group-purchasing program for solar energy, battery storage and other clean-energy technologies. The initiative is designed to serve residents, businesses, and nonprofits to become more resilient, reduce energy expenses, and save on the cost of renewable-energy systems by obtaining volume discounts on materials and installation services.
Solarize campaigns are driven by community group purchasing. Based on a tiered “bulk” purchasing concept, the more local residents and business owners who contract for their solar installations through the program, the more savings accrue to all participating property owners.
Joining Chatham County, other participating Triangle communities include: City of Durham, City of Raleigh, Durham County, Town of Cary, Town of Chapel Hill, Town of Hillsborough, Town of Carrboro, Town of Apex, Town of Morrisville, and Orange County. The Triangle J Council of Governments and Solar CrowdSource are facilitating the launch of Solarize the Triangle with Triangle local governments.
In addition to participating in Solarize the Triangle, Chatham County has received a designation as a SolSmart Gold community. The SolSmart program recognizes local governments that are friendly to solar development and have made focused efforts to simplify the process of installing solar panels. The Gold level designation is the highest the program offers. Both participating in the Solarize the Triangle program and achieving the SolSmart Gold designation contribute to Chatham County’s Comprehensive Plan goal of becoming a carbon neutral county by reducing the amount of energy generated using fossil fuels.
Following the community celebration on August 10th, Solarize the Triangle organizers will schedule and offer a series of clean-energy education and outreach events with a goal of increasing participation through a better understanding of rooftop solar components, suitability assessment considerations, and contract provisions.
All solar and battery installations are expected to be completed by November 30, 2023.
Solarize the Triangle is already accepting advance registrations for the upcoming campaign. Interested residents may go to solarizethetriangle.com to learn more about the program and sign up in advance of the launch to be first in line for a free evaluation.
