Solarize Dunwoody is Here!

GIPL has participated in two solarize campaigns in Georgia these last couple of years as a way to actively promote the accessibility and affordability of solar in our state. Solarize programs facilitate major savings by leveraging the power of bulk purchasing. Our next campaign, Solarize Dunwoody, has been organizing community citizens over the summer and will officially launch September 1.In Dunwoody over the next four months businesses, homeowners, non-profit and municipal buildings are encouraged to undergo a solar evaluation and hopefully sign a contract to install solar. Pricing is based on a tier system; more participation helps to bring the price down for everyone. And this week, Solarize Dunwoody coalition announced the selection of solar installer Hannah Solar for this community-led initiative.“Solar makes sense for the environment and your pocket book,” said Tina Wilkinson, a Dunwoody resident who installed solar on her roof through Solarize Decatur-DeKalb and is now helping to launch Solarize Dunwoody via her role as a United Methodist Church Earthkeeper. “You’re being a good steward for the planet while also protecting yourself from future electric rate increases.”Organizers of the campaign, which include the Dunwoody Sustainability Committee, the Dunwoody Homeowners Assoc., Environment Georgia, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, and Solar CrowdSource will encourage residents, local governments and businesses to sign-up for a solar evaluation between Sept. 1 and the end of January 2018.“Dunwoody is a place where families, businesses, and local government work together, making our town a great place to live and work,” said Jason Metzger, a member of the Dunwoody Sustainability Committee. “The Committee is excited to partner with Solarize Dunwoody and Hannah Solar to help make our community more sustainable by increasing the use of clean, renewable, domestic energy.”Georgia ranks eighth in the country for installed solar capacity but the majority of the energy used in homes comes from coal, gas and nuclear power plants. Community Solarize programs in Athens and Decatur-DeKalb Co. are working to change that. The two predecessors to Solarize Dunwoody installed more than 150 rooftop solar arrays and generate more than 1 MW of solar electricity. The graphic below illustrates the power of solarize campaigns to grow roof-top solar in Georgia:“Utility-scale solar has created thousands of jobs and cleaned up air and water pollution statewide, but we have a lot of work to do on rooftop solar,” said Jennette Gayer director with Environment Georgia. “It is great to see communities like Dunwoody coming together to lead the way towards more rooftop solar.”The coalition held a competitive bid process to decide which solar installer would be the chosen Solarize Dunwoody installer and Hannah Solar was ultimately selected. Hannah Solar has been recognized nationally by the White House for their leadership in solar. They are the largest installer of solar in the state of Georgia and have completed over 450 installations.“The City of Dunwoody has a fantastic opportunity to become a leader in the sustainability space and we’re pleased to play a role in that,” said Hannah Solar VP - Corporate Development, JP Sartori. He added, “Hannah is thrilled to bring a full roster of energy solutions to Dunwoody residents, from residential and commercial solar, EV charging, battery storage, to backup gas generators through the Solarize program.”The community is invited to the launch party for Solarize Dunwoody at the Dunwoody Nature Center on September 7 at 7 p.m. More information is available at solarizedunwoody.com.