Garrett McDaniel, Town of Nederland, Sustainability Coordinator. I have had the pleasure of working as the Town of Nederland’s first sustainability coordinator for over a year now and I am excited to announce a new program available for residents and businesses – Solarize Nederland!

The Solarize Nederland program is designed to encourage residents and businesses to sign up to go solar by offering a tiered rebate. The more people that sign up – the cheaper it will be for everyone! 

The sign-up period for Solarize Nederland ends June 30, 2021, and is available for residents and businesses located within the 80466 zip code. 

The Nederland Sustainability Advisory Board selected Custom Solar, a local solar installer from Boulder, in a competitive bid process. Custom Solar was selected based on experience and their discounted pricing for rooftop and ground-mounted solar systems. With Custom Solar’s rebate and the Federal Tax Credit, which covers 26% of the cost of the solar array, now is a great time to consider solar energy. 

Energy rates are expected to continue to rise and most residential systems will experience a payback period between 8-12 years. 

The life expectancy of solar panels is over 20 years, making this a worthwhile investment consideration.  Solarize Nederland is just one step as Nederland pushes towards its 100% renewable energy goal. 

To learn more or to sign up to receive a free price quote, please visit the Solarize Nederland website https://nederlandco.org/solarize-nederland/

(Originally published in the May 13, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)