by Marcy Denker
The future of solar is looking bright in Nyack. This spring Solarize Hudson Valley is partnering with Nyack community organizations and local installers in a campaign called Solarize Nyack Plus.
Solarize Hudson Valley is a state-supported not-for-profit program that aims to make going solar easier and more affordable for local property owners. The program educates property owners about state and federal incentives and about how to select the right installers. Solarize Nyack Plus is supported by NYSERDA under Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s NY-Sun initiative. NY-Sun will invest up to $1 billion in solar power through 2023 to facilitate state-wide solar installations, and make New York’s solar industry self-sustaining.
The local campaign officially launched on Tuesday at Nyack Center. But Solarize Nyack Plus will be sponsoring community workshops, solar home tours and live installation demos until the end of June.
Sunrise Solar Solutions and Apex Solar Power will be Solarize Nyack Plus’s designated solar installers. Residents and business owners who sign up for a free solar assessment by June 30th will be able to take advantage of group rates below market prices. 
The program also provides the benefits of New York State’s “Affordable Solar” plan, which expands access to solar energy to households most in need of electricity cost reductions. It doubles the incentives provided by the NY-Sun program for households earning less than 80 percent of the median income in Rockland County. Thus, a lower total upfront cost of the solar installation for the homeowner!
In 2015, 900 homeowners and small business owners went solar through a local Solarize campaign. The largest number of New Yorkers going solar was in the Mid-Hudson Valley.
Mayor Jen Laird White says, “Solarize Nyack Plus fits perfectly with our current efforts to help our residents and businesses use alternative energy and save money. I encourage everyone to take advantage of this great opportunity to learn about everything the program offers to homeowners and businesses in Nyack— plus all of Rockland County.”
To get more information about Solarize Nyack Plus, visit www.solarize-hudsonvalley.org. or contact Apex Solar Power and Sunrise Solar Solutions. If you would like to help the local Solarize team, contact Marcy Denker at Sustainability.desk@nyack-ny.gov.?
