14 New Solar Installations in Leesburg/Loudoun through “Solarize NOVA”

More than 350 homeowners applied to program; 105 kW under contract

January 27, 2015 — A total of 372 Leesburg and Loudoun homeowners applied for the first-ever Solarize NOVA program last fall, and already 14 contracts totaling 105 kW of electricity and valued at more than $350,000 have been signed. Solarize NOVA, sponsored by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) in partnership with the Local Energy Alliance Program and supported by the Town of Leesburg, offered bulk purchasing discounts and free solar site assessments. About 200 site assessments have been conducted with the three local contractors – Green Brilliance, Prospect Solar and Solar Odyssey – still contacting applicants.

Solarize NOVA will expand to other communities in the region in the coming months, including Falls Church, Herndon and Vienna. Anyone interested in Solarize should contact info@solarizenova.org.

The 14 contracts represent 306,600 kWh — the equivalent of removing 44 passenger vehicles from the road or removing 19 homes from the grid.

— The program’s popularity comes as a new study found solar installations increased a home’s resale value (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Study-Host-Owned-Rooftop-Solar-Improves-a-Homes-Resale-Value).

— Residential solar power has surged in recent years, with solar power making up 36 percent of new generating capacity in 2014 – second only to natural gas (http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-2014-q3)

— A new solar project was completed every 2.5 minutes in 2014 (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/a-solar-system-is-installed-in-america-every-2.5-minutes?utm_source=Daily&utm_medium=Headline&utm_campaign=GTMDaily).

Bob Lazaro, Director of Regional Energy Planning at NVRC, was one of the first solar installations in the Solarize NOVA program (photo above). “Carolyn and I are very pleased with our solar array. The contractor, Prospect Solar, did a great job and followed through on each and every commitment made to us. We are pleased to be able to take steps to protect our environment and support the local solar industry.”