In celebration of Fairfield's 375th anniversary, Fairfield First Selectman Mike Tetreau and the Fairfield Clean Energy Task Force will host a free workshop on Thursday, July 17, for the Fairfield community to promote the Fairfield Energy Challenge. The Challenge is a community energy efficiency program supported by the Town of Fairfield, the United Illuminating Company, and the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA, the State of Connecticut's "Green Bank").
The town-wide workshop will be held at the Fairfield Woods Branch Public Library from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The library is located at 1147 Fairfield Woods Road. Workshop participants will learn about the benefits and options for residential solar energy from the Town and Astrum Solar, the Town's solar installer partner. Homeowners will also learn about Home Energy Audits to improve their home's efficiency for maximum savings.
The Fairfield Energy Challenge has a goal of 375 new residential home energy audits and the installation of 100 new home solar electricity systems in 2014. Today, about 10% of Fairfield's homes have had an energy audit – one of the highest percentages in the state – but many more homes could still get enormous benefits from an audit. The audit yields an immediate payback in energy savings due to the work done by the auditor on-site, and the savings continue over time. The auditor will provide a detailed blueprint for further energy efficiency upgrades and savings.
Two years ago, 69 Fairfield homeowners "went solar" during the Fairfield Solarize CT program bringing the total number of residential solar installations in Fairfield to 136. Fairfield still has much more solar potential and right now, a combination of low solar group prices and generous incentives makes "going solar" a surprisingly low-risk, profitable, and affordable investment. For homeowners, these incentives include a 30% federal tax credit, and a state rebate of up to $10,000 depending on system size and site quality. Residential systems with good sunlight should see annual rates of return in excess of 15% and payback periods in the five to seven-year range for a system that will last 25 years or more. There is also a $0 up-front lease option, which has immediate positive cash flow. The first 20 customers who sign up for solar will receive an additional $500 discount. Go to www.go.astrumsolar.com/Fairfield for more information and to sign up for a free site evaluation.
For interested parties that cannot attend the July 17, 2014 workshop, there will be additional Fairfield Energy Challenge outreach events at Fairfield University's Accelerator and Mentoring Enterprise (FAME) which is located above the Fairfield University Bookstore on the Post Road on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 and at the Board of Education Conference Room on September 17, 2014.