The Triangle will take one step closer to achieving its climate goals with Wednesday’s launch of “Solarize the Triangle,” a program developed by the Triangle Sustainability Partnership that aims to make solar energy more accessible for residents and businesses in eleven local jurisdictions.
The initiative—which covers the cities of Raleigh and Durham; Chatham, Durham, and Orange counties; and the towns of Apex, Cary, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and Morrisville—is designed to reduce the cost of solar energy systems through a community-based group-purchasing program that offers volume discount pricing on materials and installation services.
“The more people that sign up for the program this summer, the more affordable solar will be for everyone, and the bigger collective impact we can have on climate change,” says Raleigh sustainability manager Megan Anderson.
Anderson says the program’s tiered “bulk” purchasing concept will help remove barriers for low- and middle-income residents who were previously unable to afford solar installation costs, which often run high, and thus maximize the number of people working to reduce the Triangle’s carbon footprint.
“This has been a labor of love,” Anderson says. “We are committed to making renewable energy accessible to all.”
Solarize the Triangle is celebrating its launch Wednesday with a community event at the North Carolina Museum of Art that will feature guest speakers, presentations on the nuts and bolts of the program, and live music and painting from local musician-artist duo Little Red Birds. The August 10 event beginning at 6 p.m. is free and open to the public.
Click here to register online.
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