On March 15th, 2023, the city of Hartford, Connecticut, officially launched a new initiative called Solar for All Hartford in conjunction with PosiGen and the Connecticut Green Bank. The program aims to help homeowners in the city save money on their electricity bills and reduce their carbon footprint by installing solar panels on their homes.
According to Mayor Luke Bronin, “Hundreds of Hartford homeowners have had the chance to save money and do the right thing environmentally at the same time, and we want to keep that going.”
The program has already helped over 200 local residents, including Sophia Taylor-Edwards, a single mother who turned to PosiGen to relieve her energy costs burden. But only after thoroughly vetting the company to ensure they were right for her and the local community.
“It was important to me to make sure that folks are who they say they are,” Taylor-Edwards replied during a discussion with PosiGen’s team. “There are so many people that come into our communities to only make a dollar and not actually provide the service. So I asked a ton of questions. I even turned them down at first so that I could do more research. I’m happy I did contact [them] in the end.”
The initiative is a collaboration between the City of Hartford, the Connecticut Green Bank, and PosiGen Solar, a New Orleans-based company that specializes in providing solar energy solutions to low-to-moderate-income families. The program is designed to make solar energy accessible and affordable to all homeowners, regardless of their income level.
Solar power is an excellent way to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. However, many low-income households may not have the financial resources to install solar panels in their homes. Solar for All aims to address this problem by providing affordable solar energy solutions to these households.
“Many homeowners are essentially blocked from going solar because they don’t have the credit score for traditional solar products. We have created our program to remove these barriers and serve all homeowners,” PosiGen CFO Thomas Plagemann said.
Through the partnership with the Connecticut Green Bank, Solar for All participants are covered for the cost of installing, maintaining, and insuring the solar equipment and are only responsible for monthly lease charges.
“PosiGen is really an important contractor because they focus on vulnerable communities,” stated Bryan Garcia, president and CEO of Connecticut Green Bank.” Vulnerable communities are impacted most when it comes to climate change. [By] providing them affordable access to solar, we can increase their resilience against it.”
Solar for All also means creating local job opportunities. PosiGen Solar will hire local workers to install and maintain the solar panels, which will provide employment opportunities for Hartford residents.
The launch of Solar for All Hartford is an important step towards a more sustainable and equitable future for the city. By making solar energy accessible and affordable to all homeowners, the program will help to reduce the city’s carbon footprint and create local job opportunities. The program also has the potential to save homeowners hundreds of dollars on their energy bills each year, which can make a significant difference for families struggling to make ends meet.
“It’s not just solar for some or just the wealthy; Solar for All is really just that solar for every homeowner to help with those high energy costs,” reiterated Dr. Susan Young, PosiGen’s Community Partnership Manager in the Connecticut area.
Overall, Solar for All Hartford is a win-win for the environment, the economy, and the community. It is a shining example of how local governments, businesses, and organizations can work together to create a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
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