Pricing Tiers Announced for Solarize Hopkinton

The process has been going on for several months and after much negotiation have access to the pricing structure.

There were two options outlined by SolarFlair Energy Vice President Dan Greenwood. The first option is for people who want to purchase the equipment outright. The upfront cost for this is at a basic level $17,000, however owners get many tax benefits and other incentives which can recapture about $5,000 of the cost within the first year. According to Greenwood the break-even point for a basic 5kW/H system (the normal residential size) installation is between two and four years.

The other option outlined was for users to enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). In a PPA, a third party picks up the equipment and installation costs; but they also pick up the tax benefits. People who enter in a PPA get discounted rates on the electricity though. By purchasing from the owner of the panels they will pay about half price when compared to electricity provided by a company such as NSTAR.

PPA Self-Owned Tier 1 $0.065 per kW/H used $3.69 per watt installed Tier 2 $0.063 $3.62 Tier 3 $0.059 $3.55 Tier 4 $0.055 $3.47 Tier 5 $0.050 $3.39

Greenwood said that there is a large amount of interest in Hopkinton with more than 150 people expressing interest. If 50 of them sign contracts that average out to 5 kW/H, the tier 5 pricing will be reached.

"I feel very confident that we're going to reach tier 5 this summer," Greenwood said.

For more information on the program residents can reach out to Hopkinton Solar Coach Andy Boyce who has previously had solar power installed on his house. He can be reached by email at solarizehopkinton@gmail.com.