JOHNSON COUNTY, Iowa— Johnson County follows neighboring Linn County’s lead this summer with Solarize Johnson County, announced April 9. The program offers residents discounted solar panel installation through a county-hosted group buy.
“We’re just trying to make solar as easy as possible for residents of Johnson County to get,” County Supervisor Mike Carberry said in a phone interview.
Carberry set Solarize Johnson County in motion after hearing about Solarize Cedar Rapids & Linn County on public radio last year. As Johnson County has historically been at the forefront of Iowan sustainability, Carberry said he was disappointed Linn beat Johnson to the punch.
He resolved to run Solarize Johnson County in 2018, making it a Board of Supervisors priority despite uncertainty from the planning and zoning department.
“It’s a win-win situation for a lot of people,” Carberry said, as it allows environmentally concerned residents the opportunity to power homes cleanly and cost-effectively.
As more households enroll, the program’s official installer, Moxie Solar of North Liberty, offers a greater discount on installation per watt of power.
Watch for more on Moxie Solar.
Moxie beat out five other solar companies to become the Solarize installer, said Chris Hoffman, a business developer for the company. He said that Moxie’s presence in Johnson County and experience installing for Solarize Cedar Rapids & Linn County last year likely won them the job.
“We had a great relationship with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association in their Solarize Program in Linn County, and that transferred pretty well down here,” he said.
The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) administers solar group buys throughout the Midwest via their Grow Solar program, at no cost to participating localities, including Linn and Johnson.
Last year in Linn County, Moxie installed 607.22 kilowatts of solar power for 104 homes. Buyers maxed out savings at $200 per kilowatt, or about $1,164 per home on average, according to the MREA on the program’s official website.
The MREA estimates that Linn County participants will collectively save $100,000 dollars on utilities during the first year. The clean energy they produce will offset 927,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and 14 million gallons of water annually.
At least 70 Johnson County households will need to install 350 collective kilowatts of power to attain the same level of savings, according to program organizers.
Mount Vernon’s Tom Weisler took advantage of Linn’s group buy. He led informational “Solar Power Hour” sessions about the Solarize program there as well. He now brings his expertise a county over, presenting at the Johnson County Power Hours on behalf of the MREA.
Hear Tom discuss his involvement and advice for those considering going solar here.
The first Power Hour of Solarize Johnson County took place at the Health and Human Services Building in Iowa City on April 26 [VIEW LIVE BLOG HERE]. Twenty-one more sessions will run in cities throughout the county this summer.
Organizers anticipate a 5-10 percent rebate for the average residential system of just under 6 kilowatts. Factoring in state and federal tax credits of 15 and 30 percent respectively, participating homeowners may be able to install solar power for half price.
Solar powered homes slash utility bills down to almost nothing, contributing to further savings that will over time outweigh the initial investment.
Payback time depends on factors like roof direction, local permitting fees and consumer electricity rates, Moxie’s Hoffman said in a follow-up email. He said the group buy discount and tax credits help average payback time to eight years.
County Sustainability Coordinator Becky Soglin said over the phone the Power Hours target households, though businesses are welcome to attend. The Solarize program is open to all residents of Johnson County and West Branch, she said, whether they live in town or an unincorporated zone.
Johnson County drew the attention of the MREA last year by achieving a U.S. Department of Energy SolSmart Gold Designation, Soglin said. The award recognized county efforts to make solar power more accessible in unincorporated areas.
Soglin said the MREA brings funding, promotion and organizational knowledge to Solarize Johnson County.
“We’re providing ‘energy on the ground,’ if you will,” she said of the county, which hosts the Power Hours and has recruited cities within its borders as partners.
In the spirit of friendly competition, Soglin said she hopes Johnson will surpass Linn’s 607.22 installed kilowatts.
Soglin and Carberry both said that residents had expressed interest in clean energy opportunities even before Solarize Johnson County was announced.
Eileen Fisher of Solon is one such resident. At the first Johnson County Power Hour she said she has attended other information sessions on renewable energy over the years but had always found solar power “cost prohibitive.”
“With this group buy it might be more realistic to do it,” she said.
A concerned environmentalist, Fisher partially heats and powers her home with geothermal energy. She considered adding wind power but solar seemed more practical, she said.
Wind makes more energy in the winter, but Fisher said she needs extra power most in the summer, when solar capacity is highest.
Like Fisher, Iowa City Mayor Jim Throgmorton already uses renewable energy at home. He said that he and his wife generate more power than they normally use with a 3-kilowatt photovoltaic solar array on a shed in their backyard.
He said protecting the environment is “tremendously important” and attended the first Power Hour in support of the Solarize program.
“I’m proud of the county for starting it,” he said.
Julia Poska Portfolio 