Solar Addison County is an innovative new program that is finally making it easy and affordable for homeowners, farmers, and business owners in Salisbury to heat their water with the sun.
A lot of Vermonters have wanted to go solar for a long time. But until now it’s been hard for folks to figure it out on their own, while prices were out of reach for the majority of families. So VPIRG, the state’s largest consumer and environmental protection non-profit, decided to help by creating a solar co-op for Addison County residents and businesses.
By partnering with Sunward, a Vergennes-based solar hot water company (their systems are made at their Winooski, Vermont factory), VPIRG has brought the cost of solar hot water down to about what Vermonters are already paying to heat their water with fuel oil, propane or electricity. According to Efficiency Vermont, the average family spends more than $600 per year on hot water. Through Solar Addison County, families can now heat their water with solar power for about what they were already spending, while protecting themselves from oil price hikes. And once the system is paid off, hot water costs are dramatically reduced along with pollution.
Since the program was launched in mid-July, the number of solar hot water installations in Addison County has already more than quadrupled (there were only 17 installed in the previous decade; already the program has added more than 60, including 2 in Salisbury). The program will only be running through December 23rd, when VPIRG will move on to another county.
To learn more about the program, please join us on December 1st at 6 pm at the Salisbury Free Public Library for a public info session on the program. While not required, RSVPs are appreciated at http://bit.ly/w39n2Z. You can also find more information or sign up for a free site evaluation at www.SolarAddisonCounty.org .
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