Is Solar Right For Your Home?

Madison, NJ – June 7, 2022 – The sun is shining and free energy is all around. To help residents take advantage of summer’s abundant solar power, the Environmental Commissions of 12 neighboring towns, including Madison and the Chathams, are hosting a free virtual talk. “Is Solar Right For Your Home?” to be held on Tuesday, June 21 at 7:30 pm via Zoom. Registration is required at www.NJSMAsolar.eventbrite.com. 

The presentation will offer an overview of local solar projects – which include houses with shade, tricky roofs and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations – and will also highlight the financial incentives for the purchase and leasing of solar and battery back-up systems.

"With tax credits and other incentives available, now is a great time to go solar in New Jersey,” says Mayor Robert H. Conley.

Jessica Romeo, chair of the Chatham Environmental Commission and co-founder of the North Jersey Sustainable Municipal Alliance (NJSMA) which is sponsoring the talk, says, “Our area is experiencing more frequent, more powerful storms and power outages are becoming a common occurrence in our municipalities. Installing solar paired with battery backup sets residents up to be resilient to increasing outages due to these extreme weather occurrences." 

Solar energy systems can be sized to accommodate up to 100 percent of a homeowner’s annual usage, based on the past 12 months of utility bills. During the day, energy is used directly by the homeowner; any excess flows back into the local energy grid. At night, electricity is drawn from the grid to power lights and appliances. At the end of the year, homeowners are given a payment if they generate more energy than they use. 

Area residents who have installed solar panels on their homes will join the discussion to share their experiences – and their energy bills, which are typically zero (or less). 

“We are becoming increasingly more vulnerable as strong storms sweep across New Jersey,” says Torri Van Wie, Chatham Borough Environmental Commission Chair and NJSMA Co-Chair. “Not only do we need to reduce our carbon footprint and do it NOW, but we also have to prepare ourselves for the outages that will become regular events. Having solar panels with a battery backup system provides the safety net in the face of destructive storms and grid blackout due to overload, while at the same time targeting the problem at its source: carbon emissions.”

For more information, visit www.NJSMAsolar.eventbrite.com.