Commerce Corp. teams with OER, firm on solar effort

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Commerce Corporation, the R.I. Office of Energy Resources and nonprofit marketing firm SmartPower last week announced the launch of a new, municipal-based program aimed at providing opportunities for installation of rooftop solar energy at lower costs.
Dubbed Solarize Rhode Island, the program aims at reducing the costs of installing rooftop solar energy through several measures, including a competitively selected installer in each town, a tiered pricing system and time-limited offer to incentivize greater participation and community-based marketing.
The program will be piloted over the next nine months in three communities: North Smithfield, Little Compton and Tiverton. North Smithfield will kick off the first phase in fall 2014. Little Compton and Tiverton will formally begin after Jan. 1, 2014. The partnership will determine whether and how to expand the program to more municipalities after this round is completed in summer 2015.
The Commerce Corporation and the Office of Energy Resources will jointly administer the program and work with SmartPower to manage projects within the pilot municipalities.
“Through this partnership, we’ll be able to work with municipalities to offer solar installations at lower costs, while helping to expand the renewable energy sector as a growing source of jobs and economic activity in Rhode Island,” said Marcel A. Valois, executive director of the Commerce Corporation.
According to a statement, the program is based on a successful model run in more than 90 cities and towns in Connecticut and Massachusetts installing more than 16 megawatts of capacity. •

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