Last week we were happy to attend a Montgomery 10% Challenge meeting in Walden. The 10% Challenge has become one way for municipalities to reduce energy consumption one community at a time. It is happening all over the Hudson Valley but in places like Brighton, NY as well. The Challenge works through a core group who initiate a campaign to get businesses, residents and any entity that uses energy to sign on for audits of their properties. After the audit, building owners are given recommendations on how to be more energy efficient. We have opted to help Montgomery’s 10% Challenge because we are a renewable energy company and we believe in sustainability. And, we all know that sustainability is achieved through many different avenues.
The January meeting was productive. The committee sought to define their outreach strategy that may include things like commissioning the help of boy and girl scouts (did you know that there is a “green merit badge“?), finding trusted spokespeople in the community, and planning workshops where those interested can come and learn strategies for being more environmentally conscious.
Other news:
We completed our install in LaGrangeville, for which we will be posting a video within the next couple of days. We also just received funding from NYSERDA for another install in Rhinebeck. Some of the required application materials for New York State funding include: the details of the project, a record of a basic energy audit on the property, and proof of state mandated certification for Photovoltaic installation.
We are also excited to announce that we will be providing underwriting support for WMAC: Northeast Public Radio. Their programming appears on several frequencies not only in the Hudson Valley but as far north as Montreal and as far south as Sussex, New Jersey. One of the reasons we chose to support them is because much of their programming is local, as opposed to other stations that air a lot of syndicated content.
Finally, this week we will be meeting with SunCap Financial that has facilitated a residential leasing program for solar energy systems. Using their scheme, a homeowner either makes a single prepaid lease payment or begins making affordable, fixed monthly lease payments and is provided installation insurance, a system warranty and a Power Production Guarantee. Working with such an organization allows us to bring solar power to those who believe in sustainability but may be unable to provide that initial outlay. We are excited to hear what they have to say!