A Central New York grass-roots initiative is taking strides to save people money on electricity while saving the environment. Solarize Syracuse is hosting 9 free workshops over the course of several weeks to educate the public about solar panels and make them more accessible to residents.
Chris Carrick is the Regional Planning Development Board’s Energy Program Manager. He says 230 people in the area have already signed up for a site-assessment. Carrick says he’s pleased there’s more interest than solar panel installers usually see.
“Typically they see anywhere between 15 to 30% of people who get a site assessment actually go ahead and sign a contract, that’s a great improvement over what solar installers typically see - about a 5% or 10% of the people that they talk to will actually move forward with a contract. Already we’ve got 11 people that have signed contracts, our goal is to reach at least 20.”
Carrick says despite their success, Syracuse still lags behind the Hudson Valley in terms of installations. He says the high cost of electricity in New York makes the state a good candidate for solar units. Solarize Syracuse is hosting an open-house where people can see ...and learn more about the economics of residential solar installation. It takes place Sunday, September 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. on Cammot Lane in Fayetteville. More information at Solarizesyracuse.org.
