ANN ARBOR – The city’s solar initiative, Solarize Ann Arbor, now serves approximately 430 homes in the area and recently surpassed 3 megawatts or new solar, according to a city release.
The two-year-old bulk-buy program gathers community members and participating installers for information sessions about installing solar on private homes and businesses.
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Garnering interest from groups of residents allows the city to negotiate discounts with installers, making solar more accessible -- and more affordable -- for community members.
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According to a city release, participation in the program has saved residents $1.3 million in upfront costs associated with solar installation. The program is expected to save residents nearly $12 million collectively over the systems’ 25-year warrantied lifetimes.
“Solarize participants are also helping to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, to stimulate the economy and create local jobs, and to enhance energy resilience,” the city’s Sustainability and Innovations Director Missy Stults said in a statement.
Approximately 1,400 households have received information from Ann Arbor Solarize about the electric grid, clean energy and how buildings are impacted by burning gas.
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Stults said Solarize Ann Arbor is one of many A2ZERO initiatives helping the city achieve community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030.
Anyone in Washtenaw County can join Solarize Ann Arbor. For more information, visit www.a2gov.org/solar.
To learn more about the city’s carbon neutrality plan, visit www.a2zero.org.