Want Solar Cells on Your West Roxbury Property? Solarize Mass can Help

The City of Boston has a green agenda, and you can get in on it through Sept. 30 at little immediate cost - and some West Roxbury residents have already done so.

Recently, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino joined 20 other Boston property owners, who had enlisted in the Solarize Mass program, which allows Boston property owners to add solar cells to their roofs with little upfront cost.

The way the agreement works, a solar company leases your roof and installs solar cells on it. The company takes responsibility for maintaining the cells themselves and the performance of the whole system. In return, the property owner agrees to purchase — at a special, lower-rate — the power generated by their panels for the next 20 years.

's Rickie Harvey spoke about the program and solar power being used in West Roxbury. "For those interested in solar energy, the Solarize Mass program looks to provide a one-stop approach to take you from assessing the feasibility of installing panels on your roof through the actual installation. In West Roxbury, residents with unobstructed south-facing roofs might find this a way to support alternative energy and save money."

Added Harvey, "A terrific example of solar energy in West Roxbury can be seen at on the VFW Parkway. Waves owner Adam Korngold is very forward looking in his use of energy and other green practices, including the large array of solar panels he had installed on his roof two years ago. They save his business money while also helping the environment—a wonderful win-win situation that involves solar!"

(Check out West Roxbury Saves Energy's website here.)

According to a release, the system will save Menino and his wife an estimated $18 per month on their electric bill while also giving them the knowledge that turning on their lights will now generate less greenhouse gases.

“I encourage everyone to join the clean energy revolution in Boston,” Menino said in a release. “Solar power is now more affordable than ever in the City. It’s being installed on residences, businesses, and municipal buildings at an increasing rate.”

To date, two West Roxbury property owners have decided to take part in the Solarize Mass program, according to data supplied by the city. So far, Jamaica Plain has been far more active in the program than any other Boston neighborhood.

For more information, go to SolarizeMass.com/Boston

Neighborhood solar breakdown:

Neighborhood

Number of properties in program

Longwood/Huntington

1

Roxbury Crossing

1

Dorchester (east)

1

Dorchester Center

1

Dorchester (north)

1

East Boston

1

Jamaica Plain

5

Roslindale

5

West Roxbury

2

Hyde Park

3