Northeast Portland residents can enjoy low-cost purchase and installation of solar panels, says David Sweet, board member of the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods. Their tried and true ingredient: collective purchasing.

“I’m an evangelist for photovoltaic cells!” says Sweet, who hopes, along with the NECN, that the project called Solarize/Weatherize NE will bring cheap green energy solutions to the neighborhoods of Northeast.

Modeled after the enormously successful Solarize Portland project in Southeast, the idea revolves around reducing the cost of individual home solar energy systems through bulk purchasing by a group of residents.

However, the Northeast version will also include weatherization projects for residents who are committed to green energy solutions, but might not be able to afford a full solar energy system —even with all the discounts. Sweet says residents will receive energy audits from the Energy Trust of Oregon to minimize potential inefficiencies and save money off utility bills.

“They are just two different tracts, all coordinated through our project,” he says.

The NECN sent off requests for proposals Tuesday to local solar energy companies, and hopes to decide on a single installer by Jan. 20, says Sweet. He added that the cutoff date for homes hoping to participate is set for April 15.   

The original Solarize Portland project in Southeast, itself based on a similar program in San Francisco, is reported to have saved 25 percent off the cost of purchase and installation of solar panels. And that’s not including an 80 percent reduction from state and federal tax incentives.

“They got a very favorable price,” Sweet says. “We hope to get something similar.”

Tim O’Neil, one of the organizers of the Southeast project, says the program needed only 50 residents for the bulk-purchasing element to work, but they received over 350 requests. However, as other organizers of the project explained, that number will be reduced by half as site-specific complications arise. North Portland's Imagine Energy carries out the ongoing project. 

Sweet says it is too early to tell how the idea will fare in Northeast, as the whole project is still early in the organizational phase.

“I think if we get an order of 50 households, that will get us to where we need to be,” he says. “Maybe 100.”

The group has not established a signup sheet yet, virtual or otherwise. However, Sweet says in November the NECN hired Kelly Rodgers as project manager. The project also has the city's support with fliers, posters, and a number of upcoming workshops that will provide residents with more information about the project.

More at http://solarize.necoalition.org/.

 PHOTO IS AN ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE, NOT REPORTER PHOTOGRAPHER.