HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-21-2022; 12-3 - Information Item - Memorandum - Orange County Participating in Solarize the Triangle Program 1
INFORMATION ITEM
ORANGE COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF ASSET MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Memorandum
To: Board of County Commissioners
Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager
From: Steven Arndt, Director, Asset Management Services
Amy Eckberg, Sustainability Programs Manager
Date: June 21 , 2022
Subject: Orange County Participating in Solarize the Triangle Program
Orange County has recently signed on as a participant in the Solarize the
Triangle program joining other towns and cities across the Triangle area
(City of Durham, Durham County, Chatham County, Town of Chapel Hill,
Hillsborough, Carrboro, City of Raleigh, Town of Morrisville, Cary, Holly
Springs and Apex).
What is Solarize the Triangle?
Solarize the Triangle is a public-private community program that provides
participating communities with accessible and affordable clean energy
technologies through community engagement and collaboration. This two-
year program organized by Triangle J Council Of Governments (TJCOG) will
expand residential, non-profit, and small business solar installations through
group purchasing and installation. The program addresses market and
policy barriers by reducing costs, vetting materials, approving contractors,
and securing pricing. Solarize campaigns allow jurisdictions to educate
residents on solar and to promote solar installations in their communities in
a time and cost-efficient manner.
• The program is structured around a campaign—which typically
occurs in the summer for consistent and relevant "sun" messaging
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• The administrator of the program (Solar Crowdsource) releases an
RFP in which local solar installers guarantee pricing in a tiered
pricing system that offers those who sign up and install during the
campaign a cheaper price as the numbers of installations increase.
• Programs can include incentives or free systems to low-income
families if local governments provide funds for that purpose.
• Each jurisdiction that participates will have a personalized campaign
(e.g. "Solarize Orange County").
The Solarize model has been proven successful in other communities, most
recently in Asheville-Buncombe County and Savannah, GA. It enables
bundling of individual solar PV systems to achieve economies of scale.
Costs are further reduced by shifting marketing from the installer to the
program administrators. This is a turn-key program so it will not take up a
lot of Orange County staff time but can result in large benefits to the
community.
TJCOG is administering the Solarize the Triangle Partnership with a partner
called Solar Crowdsource to conduct two regional campaigns with
consistent, individual community branding (summer 2022 and summer
2023). The structure and assistance will be provided through a partnership
with Solar CrowdSource, with key elements of the program determined by
the partners. TJCOG is prepared to launch the 2022 campaign later this
summer. A community wide campaign launch event is scheduled for August
10, 2022 which will provide details on pricing and equipment options.
Eductaion and outreach opportunities will be varied and include town hall
meetings, workshops, on-line informational webinars, solar tours and
outreach through local community groups and events.
What does it cost to participate?
Each local government contributes to the administration costs of running the
program, but program participants pay the full cost of installing the solar on
their homes, non-profits, or businesses. Orange County's portion is $1 ,495
for program administration to cover the two-year program.
There is an option for local governments to provide subsidies for low-income
households to participate in the program. This would allow those who do not
have disposable income or the benefits of tax credits to benefit from solar
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installed on their home, thus reducing their energy bills. $50,000 is expected
to fund approximately 5-8 homes and program managers will be fundraising
to match any funds that local governments provide for low-income homes.
Any funding from a local government would stay within its boundaries.
What other communities have run similar Solarize programs?
Asheville — Buncombe County ran a solarize program in 2021 in which they
had 180 solar contracts signed for a total of 1 ,450kW of new solar capacity
and 125.5 kWh of battery storage, estimated $251 ,215 savings for
participants, generated $4.69 million in new clean energy development, and
is avoiding an estimated 2.69 million Ibs of CO2 annually.
Middle Georgia ran a campaign in 2019 resulting in 323kW of new solar
capacity and 94.4 kWh of battery storage and an estimated 606,000 Ibs of
CO2 avoided annually.
Solarize Benefits
• Vetted contractors *Reduced customer • Economic
and materials aequisitlon cost develaipment
•free ova Iuations and *Improved permit Jab creation
sireamllne process process mpet clean enefev
•Trusted community, •Limited geographic goals
based proigram area +Reduced elertrIelty
•Discauni pricing Lasting community costs and added
reldklanshap t�sliiefite
*SDISmart or other
green certifira#lens
Projected Campaign Dates:
RFP Release: June 16, 2022
Pre-Bid Meeting June 24, 2022
Bids due: July 15, 2022
Interview Contractors: July 19, 2022
Announce Contractors: July 22, 2022
Launch Campaign: August 10, 2022
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