By Eric Banford, Ithaca Times 2/11/12

Residents from the towns of Caroline,Danby and Dryden are joining forces to streamline the process of purchasing and installing photovoltaic and thermal solar-energy systems, hoping to bring the cost down and increase installations. The goal of the group, "Solarize Tompkins SE" (for southeast), is to bring at least 30 new installations to their towns during 2013.

"When I was first reading about the birth of the solar-power movement in the U.S., my interest was immediately there," says Marie McRae, a Dryden resident who is participating in the new initiative. "I've always thought it was the right way to go. The energy from the sun is there all the time; it's pretty simple," she notes with a laugh.

McRae recalls attending author Greg Pahl's lecture at Ithaca College on community-owned

Residential solar is becoming increasingly competitive with grid electricity. Photo credit: Upstate Energy Solutions.

energy and being impressed when Jan Myers talked about the "Solarize Madison" project she helped to launch. "A bunch of us mobbed her after the lecture to find out how she did it. Conversations took place with Sharon Anderson and Guillermo Metz of Cooperative Extension, and then Energy Independent Caroline (EID) picked up the ball to try putting it into practice," McRae says.

"I think this project will be able to reach people who have been thinking about this but had no idea about how to get into it," observes McRae. "The Solarize project gives them a way to step right up and get involved. We hope to take the guesswork out of the process: here are qualified installers and here are their prices. We will also do some of the legwork for the installers by doing outreach and education. In saving them time and money, plus giving them a bulk-purchase opportunity, we can bring the price point down."

Solarize Tompkins SE will soon put out a request for proposals (RFP) to qualified solar contractors. Once the RFP is done, a "bidders' conference" will be held so contractors can ask questions. After submitted proposals are thoroughly reviewed, one or more contractors will be chosen to do the installations.

Educational sessions will be presented in each town so interested residents can learn about the purchasing and installation process, state and federal incentives that are available, and meet the contractors and ask questions. This program is open to homeowners, farmers, business owners, municipalities and institutions.

In addition to saving via bulk purchasing, state and federal incentives help bring the cost down. Thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, there is a 30 percent federal tax credit for residents installing small wind, geothermal, and photovoltaic systems, with no cap through 2016. New York State adds another 25 percent to that, up to $5,000. Incentives vary for businesses.

"Energy Independent Caroline came together around the vision of our community being independent from fossil fuels," says Dominic Frongillo, deputy town supervisor of Caroline and member of the TCCPI Steering Committee. "The first thing we looked at was a community-scale wind turbine, then micro-hydro on Six Mile Creek, which weren't viable. Most recently we've promoted homes getting energy audits. The next step after tightening up your home would be renewable energy," he points out.

According to Frongillo, the Solarize project can help in a few specific ways. "First, we hope to reduce the financial barrier by bringing lots of homeowners together and getting a reduced cost. Second is to reduce the headache involved with the paperwork and selecting a contractor. This is a win-win for everybody, and a great economic opportunity. The money people save can be circulated in the local economy instead of going to NYSEG or out of the country," he explains.

"We hope this will bring people together around not just a vision," says Frongillo, "but action towards making our community a leader in clean energy for the future. I'm excited because this will bring relatively low- cost renewable energy directly to households in Danby, Dryden and Caroline." 

Solarize Tompkins SE is now collecting site and contact information from anyone interested in learning more and having their home or business evaluated. You can take a no-obligation "interest survey" on the website: www.solarizetompkinsse. org.

For more information, contact Guillermo Metz, Green Building & Renewable Energy Program Coordinator, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, atgm52@cornell.edu or 272-2292.