Solarize the Triangle Virtual Information Session on June 27, 2023

Building on the impact and success of its 2022 Solarize campaign, the Triangle Sustainability Partnership, a local government coalition, is offering an opportunity for local residents and businesses to purchase solar energy at discounted group rates in 2023.

Solarize the Triangle is a community-based group-purchasing program for solar energy, battery storage and other clean-energy technologies. Through this unique campaign, residents and businesses can save on the ordinary cost of a system through combined purchasing with others in the Triangle plus the availability of a federal tax credit.

Join a virtual information session on Tuesday, June 27 6:30-8:00 p.m. to learn more. The presentation will cover the group purchase discount program, how to take advantage of the incentives, benefits of the program, and how to enroll. Individuals may register for the information session on Zoom or visit the Facebook event.

Solarize campaigns are driven by the net effect of buying together during a single, defined period. Based on a tiered “bulk” purchasing concept, the more who contract for their solar installations through the program, the more savings accrue to all participating property owners.

Through the 2022 campaign, more than 180 home and business owners ultimately signed contracts to purchase renewable energy systems for their properties, yielding 2.4 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of annual energy production, more than $300,000 in annual utility bill savings, and nearly $6 million in new clean energy development locally.

Interested residents and businesses should sign up for a free evaluation at solarizethetriangle.com. The deadline to enroll is September 30, 2023. All residential solar and battery contracts must be completed by December 31, 2023. A separate deadline for commercial/non-profit contract completions is February 28, 2024.

In addition to Chatham County, other participating Triangle communities include: City of Raleigh, Durham County, City of Durham, Town of Cary, Town of Chapel Hill, Town of Hillsborough, Town of Carrboro, Town of Apex, Town of Morrisville, Orange County, and the Town of Holly Springs.

The Triangle J Council of Governments and Solar Crowdsource are facilitating the launch of Solarize the Triangle with this array of partnering local governments and selected installer, Yes Solar Solutions.

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To boost supply chains, scientists are looking at ways to recover valuable materials from water

For many materials critical to supply chains that will help enable America's decarbonization transition, resources are limited. Traditional mining is fraught with challenges, so advancing clean energy depends on finding new ways to reliably access critical materials.    Promoting national security and economic competitiveness will require America's researchers to find new ways to obtain the materials that we need for many technologies.

The Great American Lawn: How the Dream Was Manufactured

Video: The Great American Lawn: How the Dream Was Manufactured

America's lawns represent the pride of homeownership and community. But maintaining them risks contributing to climate change. So why do we even have lawns in the first place? We traced their history.

Haw River Trail Becomes a State Trail

 Haw River Trail Becomes a State Trail - Land for Tomorrow

The local favorite joins 12 other distinguished trails across the state. The Haw River Trail is now an authorized state trail thanks to the perseverance of local advocates, nonprofit organizations, and North Carolina legislators Representative Stephen M. Ross, Senator Amy S. Galey, and Representative Dennis Riddell sponsoring this bill.

[Comment -- Note that Senator Natalie Murdock also sponsored this bill.]