The Solarize South County Community Coalition is seeking applications from qualified community organizations interested in having a donated solar photovoltaic system installed at their facility.
The donated equipment will serve as a community award as part of Solarize South County, a project of Northwest Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (Northwest SEED) and Snohomish County PUD.
Solarize South County is a citizen-led initiative to bring solar energy to homes and businesses in several communities. A team of volunteers from Lynnwood, Edmonds and Woodway, are leading the initiative, which is designed to help single family homeowners and small businesses purchase a solar PV array via a streamlined process and group discount. Registration is now open (www.solarizewa.org/registration). Workshops are scheduled throughout the summer. The workshops help potential participants learn about the technical and economic aspects of solar energy and qualify them for a free site assessment for their home or small business.
Through a competitive bidding process, the Solarize South County Community Coalition pre-selected A&R Solar as the project’s solar installation team. This contractor will provide solar systems at discounted rates to Solarize participants. In addition, A&R Solar’s bid included donating a solar electric system to a local community organization if the Solarize project reaches its goal of 50 solar installations.
MLT residents/businesses should be aware that two types of permits may be necessary (electrical and building), and the contractor should be aware of requirements in each of the municipalities involved in a group project, because they may differ quite a bit. For instance, a permit sold over the counter in one municipality without a need for submittals might be a permit requiring full submittals in another municipality.
The solar installer I initially selected pulled out of my project after learning what the requirements for permitting would be. The installer I ended up was selected solely because that firm was able to handle the permitting. Unfortunately, they weren’t so hot at the actual install, and my whole rooftop system had to be removed and reinstalled the correct way.
My suggestion to anyone considering a solar install is to visit the City beforehand so that there are no surprises after the contract is signed and before the permit is in-hand.
Last I heard the City was working on solar permitting to make things clearer and smoother. Hope so.
Thank you for writing about your experience, Robert. I am sorry to hear it was difficult. A&R Solar is the community selected installer for Solarize South County. They applied to the competitive process and were interviewed by a group of community volunteers serving on the Contractor Selection Committee. A&R Solar has been involved in the Department of Commerce’s SunShot Initiative to streamline permitting. The cost of both the electrical and building permits are included in the Solarize pricing. A&R Solar has a lot of experience working with municipalities to get their systems passed through the intake desk and passed at inspection. They always have a permit in hand before starting construction so there are no surprises after the fact.
Come to a workshop to learn more! Register at http://www.solarizewa.org/registration . The workshop dates are as follows:
Workshop #3: Wednesday August 20, 6:30-8pm, Lynnwood Library
Webinar: Thursday, August 28, 12-1, online
Workshop #4: Saturday, Sept 13, 10-11:30am, Edmonds City Hall, Brackett Room
Webinar: Tuesday, September 23, 12-1, online
The deadline has been extended through Thursday, August 28, 5pm! There is still time to apply! Contact me with any questions.