IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Southern Maine's First Bulk Purchase Solar Program Launches

The idea is simple: the more solar panels that are purchased, the less expensive each panel will be.

(TNS) — Solarize Seacoast Maine, the region’s first bulk-purchase solar panel installation program, was officially launched this week after months of planning.

The program is geared for residents in York, South Berwick, Eliot and Kittery interested in purchasing a solar panel system for their homes. The idea is simple: the more solar panels that can be purchased, the less expensive each panel will be.

The Seacoast Area Renewable Energy Initiative (SEAREI) is acting as the host organization for Solarize Seacoast Maine. SSM put out requests for proposals from solar installers last May, ultimately selecting Revision Energy of Portland as the contractor. Revision employees joined SEAREI and SSM members at the first of four informational events Tuesday night at Grain Surfboards in York, which was attended by about 30 people.

Nate Bowie of Revision said customers interested in solar typically fall into one of several categories.

“A good majority of you have been thinking about it for 20 years, some of you want energy independence and want something you can do at home. Some of you want to save the planet and don’t care about the cost. And the rest of you, probably most of you, are most concerned about how this will save you money,” he said.

Bowie said it’s important for people thinking about installing solar panels to realize they’re in essence buying their electricity upfront at a fixed rate for the next 25 to 40 years – at a cost that is less than if they were to buy their electricity from Central Maine Power over the same period.

The cost of solar is going down exponentially, he said. When Revision started in 2003, it cost $10,000 for four solar panels. Today, it costs $3,000 for four panels. After installation, “you’re using that electricity immediately. If you’re producing more electricity than you’re using, it will be sent to the grid and credited to your monthly bill.” He said homeowners in essence bank credits during the summer that are used to offset bills in winter.

He gave audience members an average rule of thumb for determining residential solar needs: 1 kilowatt of solar equals about 1,200 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. The average home uses about 8,000 kilowatt hours per year, comparable to about a 5-kilowatt solar system.

The SSM program runs from Aug. 16 to Dec. 31. During that time, the savings directly correlates to the number of people who sign a contract to install panels. If 200 or more kilowatts worth of solar panels collectively are contracted to be installed on houses in the four towns by the end of December, savings to the homeowner for the system is expected to range from between $500 and $1,500 – about $600 for a 5-kilowatt system.

Revision has done a similar bulk purchase program in Brunswick, said Bowie, and that community signed up homeowners that collectively installed 545 kilowatts of solar. He said Revision is expecting the four towns to be in the 750 kilowatt range. If so, Revision would likely reduce prices even further.

There is no charge for Revision to come to a house for a consultation, he said. Financing is available as well. To learn more about the SSM program, visit the website at SolarizeSeacoastMaine.com. Other upcoming events include Rice Public Library, Kittery, Thursday, Aug. 18, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.; South Berwick Public Library, Aug. 23, 6 to 8 p.m.; Eliot Grange Hall, Aug. 24, 6 to 8 p.m.

©2016 Portsmouth Herald, N.H., Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.