Town To Hold Information Session On Solarize Southampton Program

Southampton Town officials want to up the ante when it comes to clean energy.

Recently they announced the launch of Solarize Southampton, a program designed to offer tiered pricing options for residential and commercial solar panel installations.

And this week Southampton Town representatives will be at the North Sea Community House from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, September 8, to speak with the Citizens Advisory Committee about the project, which will use the Southampton-based company Green Logic to install the panels. A public information session is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Tiana Activities Center located at 72 Dune Road in Hampton Bays. There will also be a Solarize Southampton booth set up at SeptemberFest in Southampton Village on September 26.

“We try to be on the forefront of bringing this community into the future, and with that is renewable energy sources to reduce our carbon footprint and making sure people can afford to the best of their ability their energy bills,” Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst said at a press conference on Thursday, September 3. “We pay some of the highest energy rates here on the East End of Long Island, and it is a goal of ours to work with our community to see what we can do to reduce that.”

As part of the program, the town will use a $5,000 grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to advertise the program. The more private households that sign up to have panels installed, the less expensive doing so will be for each one.

For example, if tier one includes five houses, the five participating households would pay a base fee for the services. However, if five more houses are included in the program, bringing the total to 10, then the area would move into tier two, lowering the prices for everyone involved.

For commercial properties, the tiers will be based on how large the installation is.

Earlier this summer the town agreed to participate in the program at the recommendation of the Sustainable Southampton Green Advisory Committee, and this week announced it has selected Green Logic to work with after a competitive bidding process.

“We take care of our customers and earn their trust,” Andrew Smith of Green Logic said on Thursday. “Our quality is unmatched and we are thrilled to be participating in this Solarize Southampton Program.”

“The purpose of the program is to create excitement about energy and the opportunity to produce renewable energy,” said Christine Fetton, director of municipal works.

More information can also be found online at Solarizesouthampton.com.