Fans of non-petroleum energy are having a “Clean Energy Fair” in Missoula’s Caras Park Saturday. Diana Maneta, the executive director of the Montana Renewable energy association says they’ll be unveiling a new initiative called Solarize Missoula.
"Solarize Missoula is an initiative that’s intended to reduce the cost of solar for homeowners and businesses in Missoula, and thereby to really boost the solar market here. It’s a discount that will be offered to customers that sign up to participate in the program for the next few months. And we’ll be working with a group of installers who agree to offer this discount for this limited time."
The idea is to use bulk buying power to help reduce the cost of residential solar energy installations. The City of Missoula is a partner in the project, and Maneta says special financing is available, too.
"The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has a low interest loan program for alternative energy systems, and then the Missoula Federal Credit Union is putting together a couple of additional loan options for people."
Maneta says this is the first solar initiative of this type in Montana, but similar programs have been successful elsewhere, like one launched in Portland in 2008.
The Clean Energy Fair starts at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, September 19 in Caras Park in Missoula, a presentation on the solar energy initiative is scheduled for just after noon.
