Boston Homeowners embrace solar power

A high rate of participation helped Renew Boston Solarize achieve its goal of 500 kilowatts (kW) of solar power and qualify for the lowest costs in the tiered pricing structure.

“Hundreds of Boston residents are now choosing to save money on their energy bills by taking advantage of this great program and going solar," Mayor Walsh said. "At the same time, we're adding to the clean energy economy in the city of Boston." 

The 106 new solar installations that will be installed through Renew Boston Solarize is in addition to the 460 existing residential and 100 commercial solar installations, which total 12.3 megawatts of installed solar power in Boston, equivalent to powering 1,875 homes. The four month program was designed to increase adoption and reduce the cost of solar energy by offering residents and businesses solar pricing lower than traditional sources of electricity. 

“Renew Boston Solarize provides Bostonians with a streamlined process to install renewable energy on their homes and reduce their utility bills,” says Brian Swett, Chief of Environment, Energy and Open Space.  “The program is a great model of partnership with the private sector to drive down costs and enable residents to reduce their carbon footprint.” 

Renew Boston Solarize was a partnership with Next Step Living, a leading whole-home energy solutions company, which conducted the program’s solar home assessments and brought competitively priced solar panels to Boston homeowners by providing more affordable rates and streamlining the process for going solar. 

As energy costs continue to rise, the City of Boston will continue to find partnerships to offer similar programs that will allow residents and businesses a better option to reduce their energy use and take advantage of affordable renewable energy.

Greenovate Boston is a collective movement to ensure a greener, healthier and more prosperous future for the city by meeting City of Boston’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. Propelled by creativity and drive, Greenovate Boston will encourage continued sustainable growth within the city, making Boston the greenest in the United States. Visit http://greenovateboston.org for details.