GLEN CARBON – The ongoing Solarize Madison County / Glen Carbon program has achieved a second benchmark of 150 kW and counting, meaning over 550 individual solar panels will be installed on twenty three homes across Madison County.
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Achieving the benchmark triggers an additional rebate for participating property owners, averaging around $375 per solar array.
Over 480 individuals signed up for more information from the Solarize Madison County/ Glen Carbon program since it began in March. Most of them attended a presentation called a Solar Power Hour to learn about how solar technology works and how much it costs.
The program allows individual home and commercial property owners to access lower prices for solar installations through the power of volume purchasing. The program’s August 31 deadline for receipt of signed contracts is fast approaching.
“My installation went well and I am now up and running as expected,” said Phil Munro, one of the program participants. “No problems and the installation team were great to work with. I'm happy with my decision to install solar.”
“Being sustainable has been a long-held goal of mine and I could not be more happy about my experience in going solar in Glen Carbon,” said Catherine Mikolay, another program participant. “I am grateful that I live in a community that actively seeks out ways to inform and educate citizens about intelligent energy options. The informational session I attended answered many of my questions and provided to me a way forward in my personal energy sustainability quest.”
So far, 23 homeowners have signed contracts for solar arrays, with the first being installed on a home in Edwardsville. The customer financed with a Home Equity Line of Credit. “That array should produce around 9,300 kWh in the first year, saving the homeowner about $982 on their electric bills,” said Heidi Schoen, Assistant Director of Business Development for StraightUp Solar, the solar installer providing all the site assessments and installations for the program.
The Village of Glen Carbon and Madison County Planning and Development Department together have supported the stand-alone bulk solar group purchase program for residents, businesses, and organizations in Madison County. The program will reduce carbon emissions while providing residents, commercial property owners, farmers, and nonprofits with the opportunity to invest in their own high quality renewable energy solar installation with potentially significant savings on installation cost, and energy bills.
“We see a lot of alignment between our goals for the community and what this program can deliver,” said Chris Krusa, volunteer from Glen Carbon Cool Cities Committee. “By lowering our carbon footprint and becoming more energy independent, we can improve the quality of life for Madison County residents.”
The program’s website includes a sign-up form which will be used to announce future Solar Power Hour sessions: SolarizeMCGC.com. If you have additional questions, please contact Peter Murphy, Solar Program Manager at Midwest Renewable Energy Association at peterm@midwestrenew.org.
