Salt Lake City residents are receiving a leg up in rooftop solar energy.
Empower SLC – a community engagement effort to save energy and money on a community-wide scale – is launching a discount on solar to all Salt Lake residents in an effort to provide Utahns with clean solar power while the solar tax incentives and export rates are strong. Through this, community members can unite and negotiate a group discount from a competitively selected, pre-vetted solar installer that will make going solar more affordable and easier to install.
“We want to help more people power their lives with clean solar energy,” stated Kate Bowman, Solar Project Coordinator for Utah Clean Energy, in a Wednesday press release. “The key to achieving our goal is reducing the up-front cost and simplifying the process for going solar, and Empower SLC Solar enables entire communities to easily access solar. We’re beyond thrilled to be bringing this program to Salt Lake and Salt Lake County residents.”
Utah Clean Energy – a statewide clean energy advocacy group – is heading up the program in partnership with the Salt Lake Community College Energy Institute and a community-led Volunteer Steering Committee. Following a rigorous and highly competitive Request for Proposals and interview process conducted by the committee, local solar contractor Auric Energy was selected from a pool of applicants to be the official contractor for Empower SLC Solar, stated the press release.
The agency released the following statement after the selection:
At the SLCC Energy Institute, we train students entering the workforce in the installation of roof-top solar. We are excited to partner with Utah Clean Energy and the Empower SLC Solar initiative, which will provide benefits to the homeowners installing solar as well as to help build new or enhanced careers within the industry. SLCC’s new Westpointe Center has as its mission to support such economic opportunity for individuals and companies.
Empower SLC Solar is offered to all Salt Lake County residents with an emphasis on helping to bring more solar to traditionally underserved communities on Salt Lake’s west side. According to the press release, the community bulk purchase program provides “historically” low costs for solar, saving participants approximately 20 to 25% off the installed price for eligible incentives for an average residential solar project.
State and federal incentives can combine to provide even greater discounts, stated the press release. Homeowners may be eligible for both a state and federal solar tax credit for their solar installation. The timeline will also give homeowners the opportunity to take advantage of the federal tax credit before it begins to step down in 2020.
Empower SLC is open to all eligible and interested individuals in Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County on a first-come, first-serve basis. All commitments to install must be made by Dec. 31, 2019.
Interested individuals can take the first step in the process by taking the eligibility survey at empowerslcsolar.org or attend one fo the several scheduled and free solar workshops to meet with installers. According to the press release, there are no formal commitments until contracts are signed with the contractors.
