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03/21/2017 03:00 PMThose who thought they might have missed the boat on the chance to have their homes assessed for solar panels are in luck: The Solarize Chester/Deep River program deadline has been extended until Friday, March 31.
The Solarize CT program offers incentives through special pricing to participating towns to convert to solar power. The pricing is possible because the program works with local installers who can order materials in bulk when multiple people convert at once versus on a per-project basis, lowering the cost of materials for everyone. The Chester Energy Team chose C-TEC Solar as the local installer.
Each home’s system is customized to provide the maximum benefit for each house, instead of a one-system solution for everyone. These systems are designed based on the logistics of solar exposure, such as tree coverage and orientation of the house, and the energy consumption of the home over the course of a year.
The deadline was extended due to recent interest in the program, and those who participate by the new deadline will be able to take advantage of the reduced pricing. Since the program began in Deep River and Chester four months ago, 77 residents have signed up for the evaluation, while nine people have committed to converting.
The reduced pricing saves participants 20 percent, or approximately $4,000, off of market pricing for solar panels. The nine projects already committed to produce more than 53 kW of energy, and are estimated to save a cumulative $10,900 annually in electric bills. The environmental impact of the installations in these two towns alone over the lifetime of the system is the equivalent of removing 230 cars from the road, or not consuming more than 2,500 barrels of oil.
“We are excited to continue this program to help residents stabilize their electric bills at a lower rate while protecting the environment,” said Deep River Selectman Dave Oliveria.
Residents of Chester and Deep River who want to find out more can reach out to community outreach manager Chamae Mejias at 860-331-1041 or cmejias@smartpower.org, or sign up for a free home evaluation at www.solarizect.com/Chester by March 31.