As the calendar turns to August and the sun continues to cast its relentless force on New Hampshire and the greater region, homeowners in Weare are looking at solar as a serious option for powering their homes.
Solar Up New Hampshire, a partnership between the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission and SmartPower, is bringing its campaign of promoting solar energy and cutting electricity costs to Weare. Nearby towns of New Boston and Francestown are also participating.
The Weare select board voted unanimously to invite the program to town after Solar Up first expressed interest to Town Administrator Naomi Bolton.
“I am in favor of any alternative energy that lowers our use of fossil fuels,” said Weare select board Vice Chairman Tom Clow. “I’m fine with any program that will promote that.”
In an effort to promote renewable energy and increase the rate of solar installations, Solar Up combines local communities with a local solar vendor. With the buying power of several residents and commercial businesses grouped together, the vendor is able to offer installations at a discounted price, clearing financial hurdles for home and business owners.
Weare is being brought in during the program’s third round. Last year, Solar Up focused on seven communities, including New Boston and Francestown, and successfully met its goal increasing the number of solar users in those towns by 50 percent.
Currently, 25 residents in Weare use solar and Jack Munn of the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission hopes to increase that number to 50.
Granite State Solar of Boscawen was the selected vendor to lead installations in Weare. The company was vetted by a board of local volunteers before winning the work. Granite State Solar will provide Weare residents and business owners with free evaluations to assess what kind of array structure their home or business can support.
The assessment includes an inspection of the building’s position and the strength of its roof. The installer will also assess previous electric bills and provide an estimate on how much the home or business owner can save by going solar.
The ideal roof for a photovoltaic system faces south with a clear view of the sky. But if the building does not provide that, an array can be built into the ground in another area of the property.
Installing an array increases property value, but homeowners in Weare won’t have to worry about their property taxes shooting up as a result. In 2008, voters at town meeting approved a 100 percent tax exemption for the value of solar panels.
After a home has its system installed, it will be connected to the power grid and feed in extra electricity not being used by the home. This system is called net metering, which allows homeowners to power their neighbors’ houses and bring in some extra income.
While Solar Up focuses on residential and commercial projects, Bolton said it may be an option for the town to consider for its municipal buildings. Earlier this year, town officials in Hopkinton made a deal with ReVision Energy to install solar panels on its Contoocook firehouse.
“It is on my mind,” Bolton said, pointing to the department of public works garage project next year. “That is something I’d like to search through as well.”
Residents seeking more information can go to solarupnh.com/weare.
(Nick Stoico can be reached at 269-3309, nstoico@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @NickStoico.)