The sun has set on the recent Solarize campaign, but the future of the solar market in Delta County is bright. Results of this program revealed that as a community, Delta County invested $500,000 in 150 kW of solar energy, achieving the $500 mark in a tiered rebate system. In total, this program has introduced 19 new PV systems to the region.

The results of this program were achieved through a community effort in attending educational events, reading the Solarize newsletter, and opting to install PV systems on their homes and businesses. The program hosted 30 outreach events with over 850 attendees. These efforts ultimately added more local, distributed energy to our grid.

new-piktochart_896_69664458954bfd996119b564b724c5fc11138daaThese results in conjunction with the first round of Solarize, Solarize North Fork Valley, reveal a greater, positive trend in PV installation in Delta County. Through the campaigns, there have been 42 solar PV system installations, totaling 272 kW of solar in Delta County. Overall, community members invested nearly one million dollars in solar energy, demonstrating a commitment to a solar market. There have been 55 educational and outreach events that over 1,200 people in our county have attended, further exemplifying an interest in fostering a community committed to solar. Additionally, Solarize has partnered with 16 local businesses and nonprofits during the campaigns, and two banks which offered the first solar-friendly loans in Delta County.

Most importantly, this landmark achievement could not have been done without Solarize’s partners. These partners include Delta County Economic Development, who played a pivotal role in joining the campaign, the installers, Empower Energy Systems LLC, who provided high quality solar PV installations, customer service and expertise, and regional partners who hosted Solarize at events and shared Solarize updates with their members.

Other major contributors to this program, our utilities, who worked with Delta County residents to set up net-metering systems, and Delta County solar energy considerers, and adopters, who took the time to learn about the benefits of solar energy, and added local, clean energy to their homes and businesses.

The end of Solarize is not the end of solar in the region, it is just the beginning. Results from both campaigns have planted the seed for a developing market in Delta County, and for those still interested in going solar, resources are readily available and accessible in the region. As solar becomes more accessible, there is great potential for solar energy to reach a broader demographic of people and continue to act as a smart investment for consumers. Solar Energy International looks forward to working with our community to utilize solar as an economic driver for years to come!

Those still interested in going solar can contact Empowered Energy Systems LLC at 970-234-5412.