From 9:30am until 11:30am
At Nature Learning Center
Solar electricity generation for homes and businesses has become very affordable over the past three years. Now is the time to learn what you can do to make those costs even less by learning about options for Do-It-Yourself installation, no-up-front financing, and Community Solar. The MWV Valley Citizens for Energy Efficient Communities, (Citizen’s Energy Team) and Tin Mountain Conservation Center are presenting an informational, non-commercial workshop on Solar Electricity at the Nature Center on Bald Hill Rd in Albany on May 6th from 9:30-11:30am. This presentation and question and answer session will help those interested in reducing their home, business or public building’s electric costs by investing in photovoltaic solar panels (PV’s).
This workshop kicks off with Ed Solar, a founder of the Berlin Area Renewable Area Initiative (BAREI), an organization equivalent to the Tin Mountain Renewable Energy Initiative that has helped install several solar hot water systems locally using the “barn raising” model of neighbor helping neighbor. Ed Solar is also the chairman of the Dummer, NH Energy Committee and has helped residents design and self-install 9 PV systems. There will also be presentations by local residents who are already reaping the benefits of installing solar. Many have had their systems completed by professional installers while others have participated at different levels in their own installations.
We will also hear about New Hampshire options for Community Solar or what is also known as group net-metering that makes solar electricity available to those whose land or roof locations are too shaded. In recent years solar utilization has shifted from solar hot water to solar electricity, in great part because of the lowered cost of PV’s, and also because of net metering that allows excess solar generation to be sent back to the grid for later use when the sun isn’t shining. For those who do not have a site that is suitable for their own installation, solar group metering can allow several users to participate in an offsite installation.
Lastly we will describe several financing mechanisms that avoid the up-front capital costs and use the savings to pay for the array.
This session will also serve to kick off the addition to Tin Mountain’s existing PV system which will be a partially roof and partially ground mounted PV system. Volunteers will be sought to participate as they have with the hot water installations, both to lower the cost of the Tin Mountain system and to familiarize themselves with the installation process.
This workshop is free, though donations to Tin Mountain are always welcome. For more information call 447-5266