When Hartford resident Sophia Taylor-Edwards started noticing more solar panels on rooftops in her Blue Hills neighborhood, she began to wonder if solar panels might be a good option, too.
"As a single parent, I had to find electricity suppliers for years," says Taylor-Edwards. "I've seen quite a few solar panels in my community, so it wasn't new to me, but digging it up was new to me."
Taylor-Edwards said she then saw a volume for an informational event at the Hartford Public Library's Albany office. After meeting several people there who answered his questions, he decided to go into solar energy as well.
"Now that I'm part of the solar program, I don't have to buy anymore," says Taylor-Edwards. "I know my bills will go down and it helps me a lot financially. I look forward to years of saving a lot of money.
Taylor-Edwards is one of fewer than 200 Hartford residents who have benefited from Solar for All Hartford, a public-private partnership that helps city residents become energy efficient through the state's Solar for All program, regardless of their credit score or annual income.
Solar for All covers all the costs of installation, maintenance and insurance of solar equipment, without the involvement of the beneficiaries. Funding provided by Connecticut Green Bank.
Connecticut Green Bank is partnering with solar equipment provider PosiGen through the Solar for All program, which is helping thousands of people across the state get solar, including in Hartford.
The program is powered by PosiGen, which offers customers 25-year solar leases. The company and its financing partners own the solar system and earn money through federal solar taxes, in addition to Green Bank solar incentives, which provide customers with lower bills.
Customers still have monthly rental fees to pay. Although the installation and maintenance of the equipment is free for customers, they pay about $50 to $100 per month to rent the equipment. Even with rental fees, customers can save money through lower electricity bills.
At a news conference Monday in Hartford, city leaders, including officials from PosiGen and Connecticut Green Bank, announced the new Hartford Solar Partnership, giving more Hartford residents access to solar power. The last two Hartford All-Sun programs were held in 2017 and 2019.
"Together with cities like Hartford, we're working to bring solar power and energy efficiency to communities served under traditional solar programs," said Thomas Plagemann, PosiGen's chief financial officer. "Many homeowners are generally prevented from switching to solar because they don't have the credit ratings required for traditional solar products. We created our program to break down those barriers and serve all homeowners."
About 60% of the plan's solar projects are in areas below the previous plan's income zone in Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, New London, Hamden, Greater Hartford and Middletown.
According to Plagemann, the average PosiGen customer in Connecticut has an average annual income of $46,000, compared to the average national solar customer of $100,000.
"As more and more homes switch to solar energy, they not only create jobs in the community, but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, it also reduces energy costs," says Brian Garcia, CEO of Berdeen. . the bank "As we have seen with the rise in electricity prices, houses that install solar energy are more profitable."
Homeowners with solar panels installed by PosiGen can expect to save an average of $800 to $900 through 2023, Garcia said.
"This is a partnership that we are very proud of in Hartford," said Mayor Luke Bronin. "Hundreds of Hartford homeowners had the opportunity to save money while doing the right thing for the environment. We want to continue with it. Now every homeowner in our city can improve their home's energy efficiency and get a solar installation that will help them save money and generate clean, green energy for decades to come. »
Anyone interested in this program can schedule a consultation with PosiGen through positgen.com.
Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com.
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