Press Release: Solar Opportunities Rise Following Success of Solarize Rhode Island
Tiverton and Little Compton Collectively Double Solar Installations
Providence, R.I. – Governor Gina M. Raimondo, the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER), Commerce RI and SmartPower today announced that Solarize Tiverton and Little Compton, community campaigns to drive solar adoption in Rhode Island, have closed with a dramatic increase of solar adopters. In total, over 55 homeowners and businesses went solar, doubling the amount of solar in the towns. Solarize Tiverton and Little Compton are initiatives of SmartPower, a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance clean energy, along with OER and Commerce RI.
“It is great to see so many Rhode Island families and businesses in Tiverton and Little Compton taking advantage of these solar energy initiatives,” said Raimondo. “With our region facing high energy costs, solar provides an important opportunity to both lower costs and promote clean energy. The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, Commerce RI, and SmartPower are doing great work, and I look forward to these community campaigns continuing to grow across the state.”
The number of solar installations in Rhode Island is expected to increase with the scheduled launch of two new programs. National Grid’s Renewable Energy Growth (REG) program starts on June 15, which allows customers to earn “bill credits” for the energy they produce from their solar as well as an incentive payment for any excess production. In addition, Dividend Solar, a solar financing
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company, will partner with SmartPower to offer a loan product that allows customers to own their solar systems with no out of pocket cost and achieve immediate savings on their energy bills – all combined with an extended system warranty and production guarantee.
“We are thrilled to see the strong support of solar following the Solarize Tiverton and Little Compton campaigns,” said OER Commissioner Marion Gold. “It is clear there is a growing interest in going solar in Rhode Island. This renewable energy source gives consumers the chance to save money on their utility bills and reduce energy consumption. With new financing opportunities forthcoming, I look forward to continuing this exciting work with our partners.”
“Solarize programs are proven to spur the solar industry in the states where we work by raising awareness and providing educational resources for homeowners,” said SmartPower’s President Brian F. Keane. “At the same time, we’re seeing costs are coming down so much –both in the cost of the hardware and through bundled purchasing – that the installation costs drop another 20 percent. With the introduction of National Grid’s REG program and Dividend Solar’s zero down financing, going solar in Rhode Island is a no-brainer.”
There are currently 1.853 megawatts of small scale solar PV installed in Rhode Island. These programs are expected to bring 3 megawatts of additional small scale solar capacity to the state in the next year, spurring investment in the state and creating jobs as Rhode Islanders reduce their energy bills and become more energy independent.
“Dividend Solar is excited to bring a simple path to solar ownership to Rhode Island and enable Rhode Islanders to maximize their savings while supporting their local community,” said Eric White, President of Dividend Solar. “We look forward to helping homeowners make the decision to go solar easier than ever with the EmpowerLoan.”
For more information on the Renewable Energy Growth Program, please visit nationalgridus.com.
About Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources
The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) is the lead state agency on energy policy and programs. OER’s mission is to lead Rhode Island to a secure, cost-effective, and sustainable energy future. OER works closely with private and public stakeholders to increase the reliability and security of our energy supply, reduce energy costs and mitigate against price volatility, and improve environmental quality.www.energy.ri.gov
About SmartPower:
SmartPower is an award-winning nonprofit organization that works on behalf of municipalities, utilities, businesses, foundations, state agencies and the federal government to turbo-charge energy efficiency and renewable energy efforts. Through innovative on- the-ground campaigns using friendly competitions and challenges, SmartPower is able to create measureable results and save energy. www.smartpower.org
About Dividend Solar:
Dividend Solar is a leading solar financing company that partners with local installers across the U.S. to offer its $0-down EmpowerLoan. With performance guarantees, warranty management and system production monitoring included with every loan, the EmpowerLoan offers a better, simpler way for solar ownership. www.dividendsolar.com
Press Release: Three Schools Win Rhode Island Video Challenge Awards
Scituate High School, North Kingstown High School &
Deering Middle School in West Warwick Named Energy Champions
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Three Rhode Island schools, including Scituate High School, North Kingstown High School and Deering Middle School in West Warwick, were honored today for the energy efficiency videos that students developed as part of National Grid and SmartPower’s Rhode Island Video Challenge. The Rhode Island Video Challenge is a competition that launched last fall and an extension of the extremely popular statewide energy efficiency campaign “Find Your Four!” Students at these three schools were the top contributors of creative and engaging videos that showed the ease of finding four ways to reduce energy use. In total, Rhode Island students, classrooms and schools submitted 36 custom-made and unique videos to the competition. Rhode Islanders cast over 10,000 votes for their favorite videos. Today’s schools are being honored for their participation in the Rhode Island Video Challenge with grants to be used for sustainability programs of their choosing. Each school also received a sign announcing their accomplishment as a “Rhode Island Energy Champion.”
Grants included:
$2500 Grant – First Place and Winner of Most Submitted Videos: Scituate High School
$1000 Grant – Second Place Winner: North Kingstown High School
$500 Grant – Third Place Winner: Deering Middle School in West Warwick
“The Rhode Island Video Challenge has been a great program to engage students and community members throughout the state in ways that we can all be more energy efficient. Students developed some amazing and creative videos showing how to reduce energy use,” said Timothy F. Horan, president of National Grid in Rhode Island. “Energy efficiency is an important part of our New England Energy Strategy, so these types of programs help everyone understand how easy it is to make simple changes in their everyday energy usage.” News Release Three Schools Win Rhode Island Video Challenge Awards Scituate High School, North Kingstown High School & Deering Middle School in West Warwick Named Energy Champions “Today we honor these students for their achievements and for leading the way in promoting energy efficiency through their creative videos” said Brian F. Keane, president of SmartPower. “We also honor the teachers and school administrators who inspired students to contribute to making Rhode Island the third most energy efficient state in the country.” The Rhode Island Energy Challenge is a community energy efficiency campaign that asks each of us to take four actions in our homes to reduce our energy use. Since 2013 over 4000 Rhode Island residents have pledged to be more energy efficient at www.findyourfour.com.
About SmartPower
SmartPower, named the “Best Non-Profit Marketing Firm in the United States,” is dedicated to promoting clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency. SmartPower’s award-winning, research-based campaigns have engaged people across the country, building the clean energy marketplace and helping Americans become smarter about their energy use. SmartPower is leading the Rhode Island Energy Challenge in partnership with National Grid. For more information, please visit www.smartpower.org.
About National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity and natural gas delivery company that connects nearly 7 million customers to vital energy sources through its networks in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain. Through its U.S. Connect21 strategy, National Grid is transforming its electricity and natural gas networks to support the 21st century digital economy with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions. Connect21 is vital to our communities’ long-term economic and environmental health and aligns with regulatory initiatives in New York (REV: Reforming the Energy Vision) and Massachusetts (Grid Modernization).
For more information please visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com, or our Connecting website. You can also follow us on Twitter, watch us on You Tube, like us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.
Three Rhode Island Schools Honored For Video Challenge Awards
Scituate High School, North Kingstown High & Deering Middle School Named Energy Champions
Students at Scituate High School, North Kingstown High and Deering Middle School were honored this week for their winning videos in the “Rhode Island Video Challenge”!
This week, in recognition of their winning videos, SmartPower and National Grid presented the three schools with a sign proclaiming them a Rhode Island Energy Champion. And National Grid provided a monetary award of $500 for Deering Middle School, $1000 for North Kingstown High and $2500 for Scituate High School to be used in sustainability measures on the campuses.
Students at these three schools submitted creative and engaging videos demonstrating the ease of finding four ways to reduce energy use. Check out their videos below:
More than 10,000 votes were cast by thousands of Rhode Islanders, all helping raise the bar on energy efficiency awareness.
Huge congratulations to our 2015 Video Challenge Winners!
Scituate High School Submissions
North Kingstown High Submissions
Deering Middle School Submission
Young Chefs Serve Up Energy Savings!
Johnson & Wales Teams Up with the Rhode Island Energy Challenge
Over 100 students, faculty and staff from Johnson & Wales – Rhode Island’s world-renowned culinary institute – joined the Rhode Island Energy Challenge this week! It was all part of the first Johnson & Wales University Sustainability Resource Fair,
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held in Providence this week. The Rhode Island Energy Challenge was proud to be part of spreading the message that saving energy makes good sense.
Four students from the Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts finding their Four!
Congratulations to JWU on a great success – and an exciting partnership!
Entire Community Mobilizes to help Central Falls Become An “Energy Champion”
North Providence Steps Up to take National Grid’s RI Energy Challenge! 
PROVIDENCE, RI – National Grid today named the city of Central Falls a “Rhode Island Energy Champion” after students and city officials there successfully mobilized over 5% of the city’s households, or a total of 394 homes to register for the Challenge and change their energy use behaviors. This is the 4th community to successfully complete the Rhode Island Energy Challenge: Find Your Four! campaign. In addition to the designation as an “Energy Champion”, Central Falls is receiving a grant of $7500 from National Grid to help the community invest in further energy savings. Central Falls Mayor James A. Diossa took an active role in promoting the challenge. “The success of this campaign across the state has been inspiring. We wanted Central Falls to be a leader in making Rhode Island more energy efficient. I’m proud of our community and especially all of the students, for stepping up and taking actions in the home to save energy.” At the Mayor’s request, city leaders engaged in face-to-face interaction with residents at community events beginning with the Bright Future Festival. [Read more…]
“Best Videos” in RI Video Challenge Announced
Congratulations to Kerri Luchka and Family for winning “Best Video” as part of The Rhode Island Video Challenge. Also, Scituate High School has won for “Rhode Island School with the most video entries” and will receive a grant for sustainability measures on campus.
Over the past few months, the Rhode Island Energy Challenge hosted an online video contest asking contestants to show us what they have been doing to be more efficient at home, and just how easy it can be, by creating a unique 60-second video.
Over 10,000 votes were cast on 36 entries, vastly expanding the reach of our energy efficiency campaign, Find Your Four! National Grid and SmartPower have spoken with over 11,000 Rhode Islanders and hosted events all over the state championing the Challenge. From employee events at Rhode Island businesses to Sunday coffee hours at places of worship, the Challenge is showing everyone how to be more energy conscious.
We’ve posted the winning videos on Facebook. Watch them here! While you’re there, give us a “Like” and help us grow our community of energy-savers!
National Grid’s Study Reports Customer Engagement
90% followed through in finding at least one way to save – with 64% stating they took at least four actions
= =
75% of households became more aware of energy use in the home because of the Challenge 85% replaced lighting with more efficient CFLs and LEDs 69% installed high-efficiency HVAC equipment, 7-day programmable or Wi-Fi thermostats, or recycled a second refrigerator or freezer.
It’s Your Chance to Be a Member of the Academy!!
You Can Win Just By Voting!
You may not be able to select your favorite Oscar winner, but you can help pick the winners of the Rhode Island Video Challenge. Voting is open now through February 14th!
Check out the dozens of Rhode Island Video Challenge entries and pick the ones that do the best job showing Rhode Islanders how to be more energy efficient.
Here’s what to look for: Is it fun? Is it engaging? Did
you learn something? Is it well done?
These are the questions our judges will want to know. So weigh in on your favorite videos and you can win 4 tickets to either a Bruins or Red Sox Game and a signed copy of SmartPower President Brian F. Keane’s book Green is Good.
Malinda Howard
Community Outreach Manager
SmartPower
Just 3 Weeks Left for the Rhode Island Video Challenge
The countdown is on as we head into the last three weeks before the Rhode Island Video Challenge comes to an end and judging begins. There’s still time for you to make a fun, creative video that shows how to reduce home energy use, but make sure you get it in before January 31!
And don’t forget that there are great prizes for the top videos, including an iPad for the winner and cash for your school. All the rules and prizes can be found at www.findyourfour.com/videochallenge/.
Here’s the easy way to get started:
- Grab a couple of friends, order pizza, and brainstorm fun ways to reduce energy at home.
- Grab your phone and start shooting. Action!!
- Now upload your video at www.findyourfour.com/videochallenge/.
Need some cool ideas? Maybe you should slay some energy vampires, top off your cafeteria with a green roof at your school, or maybe you should ditch the telephone?
GET TIPS: All it takes is a phone to take a great video. Check out this quick tutorial to help you get started.
We can’t wait to see what you send in. Have fun. Be creative. And don’t forget. The voting starts on February 1st.
Malinda Howard
Community Outreach Manager