PowerSmart Campaign Being Launched in Guilford: What You Need To Know

GUILFORD, CT — Guilford homeowners will soon be able to learn more about solar energy and battery storage technologies and the brands of equipment through the PowerSmart Campaign.

The PowerSmart Campaign is being launched by the town of Guilford and SmartPower, the nation’s leading non-profit marketing organization dedicated to promoting clean energy and energy efficiency.

“Guilford has been leading the way in helping residents to make smart energy choices,” First Selectman Matt Hoey said. “Now we’re pleased to help accelerate the transition to solar plus energy storage in our homes. This combination helps to provide greater independence and autonomy concerning personal energy use.”

PowerSmart is a unique community outreach campaign managed by SmartPower. It is designed to present Connecticut homeowners with various opportunities and choices to own “Solar+Storage,” which allows residents to convert sunlight into electrical energy and store that energy in a battery for later use. Combining these technologies lets residents be more self-sufficient and control their energy use.

Silver-level designation from Sustainable CT and a highly successful Heat Smart Connecticut campaign.

A special event that will officially launch the town’s PowerSmart campaign is being scheduled.

“Our residents will be putting more clean energy into the grid, thereby helping to ensure that our community has the energy we need when we want it,” Hoey said.

Residents can visit https://powersmartguilford.wee.green/ to learn more about the campaign, how they can participate, and how to take more control of their home energy by going solar+storage.

The Energy Storage Solutions program, administered by CT Green Bank and Eversource, offers residents the opportunity to receive a generous upfront rebate incentive for agreeing to have their batteries partially drawn down during certain summer “peak demand” days and for a handful of days during the winter. Customers will get payments each year based on the amount of electricity drawn from their batteries, thus helping to ease the strain on the grid.

Overall, PowerSmart campaigns will be conducted in 28 cities and towns in Connecticut under a grant from the US Department of Energy and featuring a team led by Yale School of the Environment, New York University Stern School of Business, SmartPower, and others. Nearly 200 homeowners have already taken advantage of a previous version of CT’s Solar+Storage program.