Solarize Fairbanks Program Draws Large Interest
More than 100 people attended the standing room-only informational meeting for last week. The event, held at the , introduced the Solarize program to the Fairbanks crowd. The presentation detailed how Solarize works, described funding programs and tax credits, and gave a brief overview of using solar photovoltaic power and sizing it for your energy load.
Riding on the heels of the very successful two year-long campaigns, where solar PV was installed in close to 200 homes, the Fairbanks edition will have a few differences. Fairbanks, unlike Anchorage, does not have individual community council boundaries. So, rather than organizing strictly by neighborhood, Fairbanks groups could form around self-defined localities, congregations, clubs, sports teams or any other criteria. Businesses also are eligible.
Solarize Fairbanks is a joint effort of the Alaska Center, Alaska Center for Energy and Power, Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition, Tanana Chiefs Conference, Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Native Movement, Northern Alaska Environmental Center, and Information Insights.
The goal is to make residential and small commercial solar photovoltaic energy systems more accessible and affordable for homeowners and commercial property owners in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Solarize Fairbanks brings neighbors together to purchase solar panels as a group to receive discounted rates on panels and installation.
The next steps for those interested in participating in the 2020 campaign are to connect with the Solarize Fairbanks team; talk to neighbors, friends and congregations; and let people know about the program. More details can be found at the solarize website, .
Tanana Chiefs Conference's Dave Messier and ACEP’s Ben Loeffler describe the basics of sizing solar PV home systems during a Solarize Fairbanks meeting. Photo by Amanda Byrd.