Durham, N.C. - Building on the impact and success of its 2022 Solarize campaign, the Triangle Sustainability Partnership, a local government coalition, again will offer an opportunity for local residents and businesses to purchase solar energy at discounted group rates in 2023.

The first Solarize the Triangle program - a group buying campaign conducted last year across 11 communities - set a national record as the largest Solarize program in the country with 1,500 people signing up for free evaluations in a single campaign. More than 180 home and business owners ultimately signed contracts to purchase renewable energy systems for their properties through the program, yielding 2.4 million kWh of annual energy production, more than $300,000 in annual utility bill savings, and nearly $6 million in new clean energy development locally.

Based upon this success, a decision was made by the Triangle Sustainability Partnership to organize and offer a second community-based program this year. The 2023 campaign was unveiled in April at community Earth Day celebrations. The official public launch of the regionwide, group-buying program will take place on Monday, May 15, 2023, at Hi-Wire Brewing in Durham.

This free, open-to-the public event is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. at 800 Taylor St., Durham and will include an unveiling of 2023 solar-energy options for local residents, businesses, and non-profit organizations located in 12 Triangle communities. Attendees can expect to learn how a Solarize program works and have the ability to ask questions of the solar provider and community partners.

This special launch event will feature:

Representatives from the Partnership that developed Solarize the Triangle;

Experts in solar energy from the locally selected installer company chosen via competitive bidding;

Details about the benefits of solar energy and battery storage;

Special prizes, refreshments and drawings for attendees, and

Information about how one can enroll for a free solar-energy assessment of their residence or place of business via Solarize the Triangle.

Solarize the Triangle is a community-based group-purchasing program for solar energy, battery storage and other clean-energy technologies. The initiative is designed to serve residents, businesses and nonprofits to become more resilient, reduce energy expenses, and save on the cost of renewable-energy systems by obtaining volume discounts on materials and installation services.

Solarize campaigns are driven by the net effect of buying together during a single, defined period. Based on a tiered "bulk" purchasing concept, the more local residents and business owners who contract for their solar installations through the program, the more savings accrue to all participating property owners.

In addition to Durham County, other participating Triangle communities include: Chatham County, City of Raleigh, City of Durham, Town of Cary, Town of Chapel Hill, Town of Hillsborough, Town of Carrboro, Town of Apex, Town of Morrisville, Orange County and the Town of Holly Springs.

"We are excited to launch Solarize the Triangle '23, building off the incredible response we had to last year's campaign," said Durham County Sustainability Manager Tobin Freid. "This is a great opportunity for anyone who is curious about solar energy and if it is a right fit for their home or business to get the information they need to make a decision."

The deadline to enroll is Sept. 30, 2023. All residential solar and battery contracts must be completed by Dec. 31, 2023. A separate deadline for commercial/non-profit contract completions is Feb. 28, 2024.

The Triangle J Council of Governments and Solar Crowdsource are facilitating the launch of Solarize the Triangle with this array of partnering local governments and selected installer, Yes Solar Solutions.

As in 2022, the continuing objectives of the 2023 version of the program include:

Making solar energy more affordable: lower the cost of solar energy through the power of group-purchasing and reduced acquisition costs. Pass savings to residents of the Triangle region;

Making solar energy more accessible: contractor(s), materials and pricing will be highly vetted for best practices using a competitive bid process;

Education and community engagement: widespread community engagement, education and outreach activities through town hall meetings, workshops, solar "open house" gatherings, and outreach through local community groups and events;

Promoting solar-positive policies: encourage local governments to adopt streamlined solar energy permitting policies and fair utility distributed generation policies; and

Giving back: Solarize The Triangle and selected contractors will use a portion of campaign proceeds to donate a solar energy system to a deserving local nonprofit organization and/or help to underwrite solar-energy systems for qualified Low- and Moderate-Income families with high energy burdens.

During the first year of the program, Solarize the Triangle's organizers carefully chose a qualified firm to ensure best-in-class materials are installed by a quality solar firm. Detailed criteria for selecting the company were used by the Partnership to choose Cary-based Yes Solar Solutions. Based upon the success of the 2022 campaign, the company was invited to serve again as sole installer for 2023.

Said Stew Miller, Co-Founder and President of Yes, "The impact Solarize the Triangle has had on the communities and homeowners is exciting. And the impact on a local solar company like Yes is equally significant. In scaling up to meet the demand, we have promoted five employees, and added 12 new jobs. That is 12 people who pay taxes, buy goods and participate in the very communities that made Solarize a success. We have reinvested in software that makes our company more efficient and helps control quality. We could not be more appreciative of the opportunity to be the chosen installation company for Solarize."

Following the public rollout on May 15, Solarize the Triangle organizers will offer a series of clean-energy education and outreach events with a goal of increasing participation through a better understanding of rooftop solar components, suitability assessment considerations, and contract provisions.

Solarize the Triangle is accepting registrations for the upcoming campaign, with more than 130 residents already signed up. Interested residents may go to solarizethetriangle.com to immediately learn more about the 2023 program and to sign up for a free evaluation.

For more information on the County's sustainability efforts or the Solarize the Triangle program, contact Freid at 919-560-7999 or tfreid@dconc.gov.