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Solarize 126 Group Purchase Program in full swing in Santa Paula and Fillmore
By Anonymous — Wednesday, September 28th, 2016
One month left to take advantage of solar savings!
Solarize 126, a community-led program offering group discounts on solar electrical systems, is available for one more month before it expires on Oct 31st. The program offers vetted installers and sizable discounts on solar installations to homeowners in Ventura County along California State Route 126. Solarize 126 is offered as a partnership between The Community Environmental Council (CEC), The Ojai Valley Green Coalition (OVGC), and the vetted installer partners. The Community Environmental Council (CEC) began offering Solarize programs in Santa Barbara in 2011 as a tool to make going solar simpler and more affordable, and to increase the amount of renewable energy in the region. Since 2011, CEC has helped over 480 homeowners go solar in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Ojai, and surrounding communities. Solarize 126 is the first time that the Solarize program is being offered in Santa Paula, Fillmore, and Piru. “With discounted, fixed pricing from vetted installers and education through workshops and independent consultation, Solarize has streamlined going solar and made to process easier on the customer,” explained Jefferson Litten, CEC’s Director of Energy Programs, “We are excited to bring the program to the Santa Clara River Valley.” The neighboring community of Ojai has hosted Solarize programs for four years, with 41 solar systems installed through the program within the Ojai Valley. Solarize 2015 participant, Sandra Blasé explained, “It was a great program. I was looking into putting solar on my house, but it was a little beyond my budget. This program made it possible to do it. So far I have had no problem with it and California Solar Electric did a great job. It was installed quickly and professionally.” Solarize 126 features two local solar installers, California Solar Electric and Coastal Solar, who are both offering special discounted pricing for 126 corridor residents. The firms were selected for Solarize 126 after careful evaluation and vetting by a committee of local experts. Both companies are locally owned family businesses with years of experience in the region. “We are very excited to partner with California Solar Electric and Coastal Solar for this year’s program,” said Litten. “Not only are both companies local, they are both offering top quality panels and installation.” As part of the program, CEC and OVGC will host free educational workshops covering solar technologies, energy efficiency, financing options and the Solarize program. “The workshops are a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of going solar - from technical aspects to the effects on home values, to how your electric bills will shrink,” said Litten. Robert Garven, a Solarize Participant in 2015, was particularly grateful for the education he received through Solarize. Robert explained, “I went to a homeowner workshop, and when I left an hour later I felt like I knew everything that I needed to know about going solar. The workshops saved me hours of research and the installers I worked with were fantastic” In addition to monthly savings on their electricity bills, Solarize participants will help support the CEC and OVGC’s missions to increase renewable energy in the region. For each homeowner that goes solar through the program, CEC’s partnered solar installers will pay, at no additional cost to the homeowner, Solarize 126 launched on August 1, 2016, and runs through October 31, 2016. During this time, homeowners with the zip codes of 93015 and 93060 can switch to solar at a fixed, group-purchasing price the program’s vetted installers, California Solar Electric and Coastal Solar. Upcoming Workshop: About the Community Environmental Council |
