LINCOLN GREEN ENERGY
The website of the Lincoln, MA Green Energy Committee
Solarize
Now is the time to Solarize! Federal tax credits are 30% (through 2032).
Lincolnites are going solar — there are more than 290 (2023) solar installations in town and you too can benefit from this renewable energy source! To find out more about incentives and installers who have installed in Middlesex county visit the MassCEC. If you have any questions, please contact us!
Make the Switch
Even if your home isn't optimal for hosting a solar array, you can still make the switch to 100% local renewable power.
The state's minimum renewable portfolio standard (RPS) for electric utilities is just 20% renewably-sourced electricity in 2022, an amount that is required to increase by 2% per year. But you can accelerate Massachusetts's conversion to affordable, renewable electricity by joining Lincoln's 100% renewable sources option.
Community Shared Solar
Thanks to state legislation passed in 2016, Massachusetts residents can take advantage of the financial benefits associated with solar energy — even if they don't own a viable host site themselves.
According to the Massachusetts Division of Energy and Environmental Affairs, a Community Shared Solar (CSS) project is a solar photovoltaic (PV) system that provides benefits — such as electricity, net metering credits, and return on investment — to multiple participants. A CSS project is hosted by an entity with a suitable roof or parcel of land and is supported by multiple participants, who invest in the project or purchase the electricity or net metering credits generated.
Benefits of CSS projects are many, including the following (courtesy of Resonant Energy):
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Direct ownership. Participants receive the full suite of state and federal incentives for owning solar panels.
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Shared costs. By co-locating with other community members, the cost to each individual is reduced.
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Optimal site. By locating the array away from your home, you can use an ideal site with great solar exposure.
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Hassle-free. The solar provider will operate and maintain the system for 20 years.
Solarize Mass 2017
In 2017, Lincoln again partnered with Wayland and Sudbury to participate in Solarize Mass to help streamline residential solar agreements and drive down costs.
A program of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), Solarize Mass sought to increase the adoption of small-scale solar electricity in participating communities through a competitive solicitation process that aggregates homeowner buying power to lower installation prices for participants.
Under Solarize Mass, participating homeowners and business owners either purchased solar electricity systems directly or enter into a lease or power purchase agreement (PPA) with the installer. Under a lease or PPA, the installer owns, operates and maintains the system, while the home or business owner agrees to purchase the power generated by the system at a specific rate. More information about incentives and financing can be downloaded here.
Solar panels on the new home of Mark and Tricia Deck on Silver Hill Road, which will yield an expected 12,000 kWh of power per year — enough to supply all the home's electricity needs, or even more. Photo courtesy of Tricia Deck.
Solar panels on a home in Lincoln's Historic District...demonstrating a perfect way to keep history alive while embracing new, renewable technologies!