Montgomery co-op celebrates success
The Montgomery County Solar Co-op celebrated its success at Rockville City Hall last week. Co-op members joined with representatives of Solar Energy World, and public officials like Councilmember Sydney Katz and Lisa Feldt, Director of the county’s Department of Environmental Protection, as well as Rockville City Councilmembers Julie Palakovich Carr and Mark Pierzchala. After some brief words from the officials, Corey Ramsden, MD SUN’s Program Director, presented awards to the co-op’s promotional partners and several co-op members who were the first to join the group and the first to sign a contract to go solar with the group. Attendees socialized, got to know each other, shared details about their solar installations, and the rapid of adoption of solar in the county.
The biggest ever
This co-op has the distinction of being not only the largest solar co-op in MD SUN history but also in the history of Community Power Network which has similar programs in the District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, and Florida. From May 2016 through September, 244 county residents signed up to join the co-op. Together, 88 group members installed a little over 790 kilowatts of solar generating capacity with an approximate investment value of $2.2 million dollars. By working through a co-op, MD SUN estimates group members saved close to $395,000 dollars.
The group received eight competitive bids from area installers. Over the summer, an all-volunteer selection committee selected Solar Energy World to work with the group. Through the fall, group members signed contracts with Solar Energy World to go solar with most of the installations completed by the end of December.
Thank you!
MD SUN would like to thank each and every member of the Montgomery Solar Co-op and each promotional partner for making this group a huge success through their enthusiasm and collective efforts. Special thanks to the homeowners who volunteered for the co-op’s selection committee, sharing their time to review each bid and select an installer on behalf of the entire group.
Promotional Partners:
Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
City of Takoma Park
City of Rockville
City of Gaithersburg
Poolesville Green
Adat Shalom Congregation of Bethesda