If you have been thinking about putting solar panels on your home or business and making your own electricity from the sun, then now is your time to act! Thanks to the new “SunSavers” program developed by the non-profit Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) and esaSolar Energy, St. Lucie County property owners now have the opportunity to obtain solar photovoltaic PV panels at drastically reduced wholesale prices. The SunSavers program is the first of its kind to offer bulk-rate solar PV pricing, coupled with three locally developed clean energy-financing programs – all of which provide 100% upfront financing options to homeowners, businesses, industries, and farms in St. Lucie County. SELF has also developed special financing programs and rates for veterans, women, working class families, and people with poor credit. Public entities can also join the SunSavers program and take advantage of wholesale solar PV prices.
Through the SunSavers program, St. Lucie County property owners can buy or finance solar PV panels at about 30-40% lower costs than the current average price in Florida. The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) has approved all of the solar products offered by esaSolar Energy through the SunSavers program, and SolarTech Universal, headquartered in Riviera Beach, FL., will provide solar panels made in Florida for the program.
esaSolar Energy is one of the largest solar developers in Florida, and SELF has established the most robust suite of local clean energy financing programs in the nation, including St. Lucie County’s Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, which offers 100% upfront financing in the form of an equity-based, non-ad valorem assessment that does not require a credit check. SELF is a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certified by the US Department of the Treasury that also offers low-cost loans for assorted home renovations. SELF currently has 23 capital investors, including banks, churches, socially responsible investors, and worldwide crowdfunding through KIVA.org.
Morgan Brawner, Director of Sales, esaSolar Energy, said, “We’re excited to bring this new model of an all-in-one solar aggregation program, which allows property owners to attend a community information session and see a transparent view of how much solar will actually cost for their homes or businesses. With affordable financing options and a simple signup process, property owners can select a fixed monthly payment that works for their budget and eliminates their electricity bill. We’re excited to partner with SELF, area contractors, and the local community.” He added, “We’ll be issuing an RFP to SELF contractors by November 1, 2017 to select local solar installers to complete all of the installations.”
Doug Coward, Executive Director of SELF, emphasized, “Wholesale prices will be available through November 30, 2017, but they are contingent on a minimum threshold of participation from the community.” He added, “We will be sponsoring multiple educational events in the coming weeks to provide more information to the public.”
Port St. Lucie Mayor Greg Oravec said, “I strongly endorse solar in the Sunshine State, and I also encourage citizens to consider the SunSavers program because of the potential cost savings.” He said, “The City of Port St. Lucie welcomes clean energy projects and jobs.”
St. Lucie County Commission Chairman and former SELF Board President, Chris Dzadovsky, said, “The SunSavers program provides the opportunity for St. Lucie County property owners to cost-effectively shift to solar energy while reducing overall electricity costs and fueling the local economy.”
For more information about the SunSavers program, please contact SELF at telephone #(772) 468-1818 or apply on-line: (http://cleanenergyloanprogram.org/sun-savers-solar-program). For more information about esaSolar Energy, please contact telephone #(407) 461-7556 or visit (http://esa-solar.com/contact).