A 12 kW ground-mount array installed as part of the Wolfeboro campaign. Photo courtesy of Frase Electric.
By Michelle Harrison
Green Energy Times has covered many of the community solar programs throughout New Hampshire. The progress of the programs is given below. These programs have really been successful!
Solar Up New Hampshire
The Solar Up NH program is being led by the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission (SNHPC). The SNHPC is working with SmartPower to bring round three of the solarize program to southern New Hampshire.
Seven communities in the SNHPC Region participated in rounds one and two last year and the solarize campaigns held in these communities generated a total of 1.35 MWs of new renewable solar energy through solar installations at 91 homes and three businesses in the region.
Three communities, the towns of Francestown, New Boston and Weare will be participating in round three of Solar Up NH, which began on June 27 and runs for 16 weeks to October 15, 2016. Millhouse Enterprises located in Belmont, NH and Granite State Solar located in Boscawen, NH, were selected installers for the Solar Up NH round three summer campaigns.
The primary goal of Solar Up NH is to lower the cost of solar PV through discount pricing contracts and to double the number of solar PV installations for homeowners and businesses in each participating community.
To learn more and to sign up for more information and a free site visit, go to the Solar Up NH website at: www.solarupnh.com.
Wolfeboro Solarize Campaign
The Wolfeboro Solarize Campaign is being led by the Wolfeboro Energy Committee. The committee’s goal was to double the kW of solar that had been previously installed in town, which was approximately 75 kW. To date, the campaign has generated 125kW of new solar in the region.
Frase Electric, of Sandwich, NH, was selected to be the partner installer. In support of this program, Frase Electric has committed to donate five cents to a town project for every watt. This money was used to remove and reinstall a PV array at one of the buildings at the sewer department. This was a way for the whole town to get a small benefit from the installations, not just the residents who installed an array.
For more information, please visit http://www.solarizewolfeboro.org/
A 5.13kW solar PV array using U.S.-made Solarworld modules was added to the home of an Ammonoosuc Regional Energy Team member. This home was previously outfitted with a solar hot water collector. Photo courtesy of O’Meara Solar.
Solarize Ammonoosuc
The Solarize Ammonoosuc campaign was spearheaded by the Ammonoosuc Regional Energy Team. The goal of the campaign is to increase the number of local homes and businesses powered by solar PV. It is estimated that the campaign increased the amount of residential solar PV by over 100%.
O’Meara Solar is the chosen installer. To date, 14 installs totaling 73.6 kW are completed, and there are several more to do, and more coming in every day. The final numbers will be over 120kW. Other area installers have been putting systems in as well, as the solarize campaign has sparked more installation opportunities. The installations have ranged from Bath, NH to Lancaster, NH, with most in Franconia and Sugar Hill.
For more information, visit http://ammenergy.org/index.php/solarize-ammonoosuc/events-and-news
The Upper Valley Solarize Campaigns have also been extremely successful, perhaps setting the stage for the ones that are on-going at this time. We hope this trend continues and would love to hear about what your community is doing. Contact us at info@greenenergytimes.org.
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