Cache Clean Air Consortium announces 2017 Cache Solar Discount Program

Since its 2015 launch, the <a href=”http://www.cachecleanairconsortium.org/” target=”_blank”>Cache Clean Air Consortium’s</a> (CCAC) “<a href=”http://www.gardner-energy.com/cachesolar” target=”_blank”>Cache Solar Discount Program</a>” has resulted in more than 1,000 solar panels being installed on 75 Cache County homes. Jordy Guth, who chairs the Cache Solar committee, said converting the homes from traditional power to solar energy has the net effect of removing 72 vehicles from the road annually. 

“A lot of the provision of electricity in the state is from coal plants or natural gas plants, which have emissions and contribute to poor air quality,” she said. “Solar is a clean, renewable source, so it does help. Every little bit helps.”

During the <a href=”http://cachevalleyhomeandgardenshow.com/”>Cache Valley Home &amp; Garden show</a>, taking place this weekend at the Eccles Ice Arena in North Logan, the CCAC will introduce pricing and financing options for its 2017 discount program, providing visitors to its booth with information about the impact of residential solar photovoltaic (PV) installations on both the environment and on their pocketbooks. 

“This year, kind of one of the changes the consortium wanted to make is to have it more affordable so there wasn’t so much upfront cost,” said Kyle Hartman, manager of Gardner Energy, Cache Solar’s designated service provider.

“That’s historically been one of the barriers to solar,” Hartman said. “You’ve got to make your initial investment, and then you see your savings over the life of the system, over twenty or thirty years. Typically, the break-even point on solar is about ten years.”

According to Hartman, the CCAC made changes in its discount program this year to make the upfront costs of going solar less cost-prohibitive. These options include zero down and same-as-cash financing and varied price points based on homeowner requirements/preferences.  

“Most people don’t recognize this yet, but you can actually end up having a positive cash flow while financing a system,” he said. “The price of solar has gone down so much over the past few years, and a lot of people don’t realize how affordable it is. Based on how you structure installment payments, the Solar Discount Program lets you get into a solar system with no money down, and you can have a monthly payment very similar to what your utility payment would have been.”

The way the program works, Guth explained, is consumers obtain discounted pricing for their solar systems by participating in bulk purchasing through a contractor—in this case West Haven-based Gardner Energy. The program also streamlines the process by which homeowners can acquire a solar system and helps them maximize state, federal and other applicable incentives.

“There is power in bulk purchasing,” Guth said. “The more you purchase, the lower the prices on the panels can be. We operate on that concept, so the community as a whole can collaborate on that, and then the contractor can provide good efficiency.”

While the CCAC has vetted Gardner Energy as its exclusive solar contractor, Guth recommends that anyone who has interest in purchasing a solar system shop around. Noting how many contractors now offer solar options in Cache Valley, she said it makes sense for consumers to educate themselves and find the best fit for their energy needs.

“We would encourage people to get multiple bids, regardless, just because that’s always a good idea to get multiple bids and compare products,” she said.

Guth emphasizes that the CCAC supports solar energy across the board and is most concerned with helping community members access solar opportunities that provide the best return on their investments. She said the average utility cost savings over the life of a solar system is $16,000 to $22,000 dollars above and beyond the initial purchase price of the system.

“There’s a good business case for it,” she said, “and a good case for, obviously, just doing the right thing and contributing to clean, renewable energy for the community.”

The CCAC is a nonprofit affiliate of <a href=”http://www.breatheutah.org/”>Breathe Utah</a> and collaborates closely with Utah State University and Logan City. Its mission is to facilitate community partnerships “resulting in actionable strategies to improve air quality in the Cache Valley region.” More information about the organization and the Cache Solar Discount Program is available at <a href=”http://www.cachecleanairconsortium.org/”>www.cachecleanairconsortium.org</a>. 

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