These 85 homes represent over 500 KW of solar power and will produce over 550,000 kWh per year of clean, renewable energy, significantly reducing the homeowners’ electric bills and reducing demand from the electric grid. Over the previous 12 years, 35 solar photovoltaic systems had been installed throughout Hastings and Dobbs Ferry; with the addition of the new solar systems, the Solarize campaign will have more than tripled the number of solar homes in the two communities. More than 475 homeowners requested information about the opportunity to install solar, and installers conducted more than 200 site visits to evaluate homes’ solar potential.
The Solarize Hastings-Dobbs Ferry campaign has been a shining example of inter-village cooperation. Everything was seamless and the participants from both villages all really worked together as a single team. The building inspectors were on the same page and extremely helpful, the mayors and village boards were strongly supportive, the Conservation Commission of Hastings and Energy Task Force of Dobbs did major outreach, and the events and promotion spanned both villages. The campaign’s success was built on the long-standing deep commitment of both villages to promote sustainability.
Solarize Hastings-Dobbs Ferry was one of four Round 2 campaigns of Solarize Westchester; the villages were competitively selected to participate in the state-supported program. Nina Orville, Program Manager of Solarize Westchester said, “The results from the current round of Solarize campaigns have surpassed our expectations. We are thrilled with the number of installations as well as the deep community engagement that has made these campaigns such a success. Elected officials, community volunteers and municipal staff partnered with the selected installers and the Solarize Westchester Team to provide the opportunity to their communities to install high-quality solar at a lower cost. There is clearly strong demand in Westchester County for the low cost clean energy that solar installations provide.”
Orville emphasized the key role played by community volunteers, who worked hard both before and during the campaign to get the word out. They planned solar workshops and other events, distributed flyers, leveraged their social networks, filmed interviews with solar installers, and much more. Each campaign was creative and distinct, reflecting the characteristics and culture of that community. About the experience, Dan Lemons, core team leader of the campaign for Hastings, said, “This was an unusual opportunity to work with an inspiring team comprised of Dobbs and Hastings residents and elected officials, along with Nina Orville and Nikki Coddington of Abundant Efficiency and Doug Hertz and the whole Sunrise Solar Solutions crew.”
The support and active involvement of elected officials was also vital. Dobbs Ferry Mayor, Hartley Connett praised the campaign saying, “The Village of Dobbs Ferry is extremely proud of the success of the Solarize Westchester program helping bring the benefits of clean and efficient solar power to more residents and business owners in our communities. The Solarize program is also an example of how our villages effectively work together to share benefits and create savings, and that what is good for the environment is also ‘good for business’.”
Peter Swiderski, the Mayor of Hastings, said, “This remarkable effort was tailor-made for Hastings, and we proved it by having the sense to snap it up so many times, quadrupling our installed base of solar. Congrats to the Solarize team for hitting it out of the park. ”
Salvatore Conti, a Dobbs Ferry resident with a recently completed installation, told the installers, Sunrise Solar Solutions, “The installers are a bunch of good guys and really take pride in their work. Being in a trade myself I know there are many more shoddy contractors than there are quality contractors. If anyone needs a referral, please send them my way and I will insist they use you.”
Caitlin Fry of Dobbs Ferry said of the Solarize Campaign, “We are really happy that we joined the Solarize Hastings-Dobbs Ferry Program, part of the larger Solarize Westchester initiative. Installing solar panels was a great way to upgrade our home and do our part for the environment. I’d recommend the program to anybody who is interested in making our community more sustainable. We all need to do what we can to preserve our environment and set an example for the next generation.“
Research shows that after a Solarize campaign ends, homeowners continue to install solar at rates greater than prior to a campaign. The more that homeowners can see solar on neighborhood roofs and talk to the solar homeowners about it, the more likely others are to think about getting it themselves.
Solarize Westchester is supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) under Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s NY-Sun initiative. NY-Sun will invest up to $1 billion in solar power through 2023 to significantly expand solar installations across the State, ultimately transforming New York’s solar industry to become self-sustaining.
More information about Solarize Westchester is available at www.SolarizeWestchester.com.
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