Solarize Kalamazoo

Name: Solarize Kalamazoo
Start: 2024-11-12T19:00:00-05:00
Location: Brewery Outré

Schedule

Tue Nov 12 2024 at 07:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Brewery Outré | Kalamazoo, MI

The Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA) is promoting a community-based educational and group-buy program that brings together Homeowners with Solar Installers to learn about solar energy. If a certain percentage of homeowners end up purchasing solar, they will receive a discount that reduces the cost of installing solar. This approach helps strengthen neighborhood and community connection by capitalizing on peer-to-peer and neighbor-to-neighbor relationships, instead of relying only on municipality or organizational outreach. This program is called GLREA Solarize with the goal of accelerating the adoption of solar to protect the environment and save money on energy use.
The Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA) is a non-profit organization of solar energy advocates who support the expansion and adoption of renewable energy in Michigan. GLREA’s mission is to educate and enable homeowners, farmers, and businesses to save money and protect our environment by installing a renewable energy system. GLREA is a membership organization and we encourage all solar supporters to become a Member by clicking here https://www.2glrea.org/membership and then scrolling down and following the directions.
GLREA's Solarize Model is designed to increase the number of distributed solar energy installations within communities through education and lowered costs of solar installation.
As such, the Model works for two distinct groups:
1. Individuals seeking to increase the number of solar users in their community. This can be anyone from any background. Often people who have been interested in solar in the past or those who have installed solar already become involved with Solarize to share their experiences and encourage others to go solar.
2. Communities seeking to increase the number of solar users in the community in accordance with a specific, sustainability-related goal.
For example, to reduce carbon emissions, improve the quality of life, stimulate economic development, and to enhance energy resiliency.
With GLREA Solarize, residents choose the Solar Installer they wish to work with, and then organize a Meeting by reaching out to their friends and neighbors, either on Zoom or in person at someone's home, place of worship, or neighborhood community center. At the Meeting, the benefits of solar energy are explained and then a Solar Installer provides an example of the cost of a solar system, which is expressed by an average price per watt (PPW) ‘range’ for rooftop installations, and then explains the level of discount that can be offered depending on the number of participants that agree to purchase solar.