Company plans to rent solar power systems on Nantucket
BY PETER B. BRACE INDEPENDENT WRITER
Astart-up Brunswick, Maine-based company called Citizenrë is weeks away from announcing what it believes will be a revolutionary way for all homeowners to power their houses with solar energy: its plan is to rent solar power equipment to homeowners on Nantucket and around the country.

Instead of spending upwards of $10,000 for solar panel installation, maintenance and future replacement, property owners will be able to rent entire solar voltaic power systems from Citizenrë, which would charge a fixed rate for 25 years based on the average of the homeowner's previous year's electric bill.

Nantucket's Citizenrë representative, Bruce Marshall-Jones, an independent ecoprenuer, said that Citizenrë technicians would assess the needs of houses and commercial buildings, obtain building permits and coordinate installation with National Grid and repair or replace system components as needed, all at no charge.

After 25 years, the fixed rate is likely to go down as more efficient technology is developed, he said.

"The reason this would be a good thing for Nantucket is that it's the first time we all have the opportunity to have solar energy replace fossil fuels and for the first time, having a company be affordable and taking care of all the permitting," said Marshall-Jones. "It fits the unique situation we have on Nantucket quite well, especially with the small community that's very concerned about the environment."

Once installed, said Marshall- Jones, the solar panels would supply a building's electricity needs before sending power back through the building's electricity meter into the power grid system.

"Depending on the time of year and the efficiency of that system, they may very well be generating a forward credit for several months in advance, then that credit will carry you through rainy days," said Senior Vice President of Communications for Citizenrë Erika Morgan.

This means that a homeowner, given plenty of sunny days where less power is used during the day, could theoretically generate enough electricity to power their house at night and on cloudy days, Morgan said.

To date, approximately 12,000 property owners around the country have signed what Marshall-Jones and Morgan call forward rental agreements with Citizenrë in anticipation of the company's construction of its manufacturing plant.

Once a Citizenrë technician does an evaluation of a building's needs, and the property owner signs the forward rental agreement, they pay a $500 security deposit that is refundable with interest when they end their agreement with Citizenrë, said Marshall-Jones.

However, Nantucketers who sign forward rental agreements with Citizenrë will have to wait at least a year until their systems are installed.

"We will be ready to sell some units nine to twelve months after we break ground with the manufacturing facility," said Morgan. "We are a start-up, so at this point we're doing

things one step at a time." I

HOT ANSWERS

Think rented solar panels are right for you? Call Ecopreneur Bruce Marshal-Jones at 228-2000, or check out Citizenrë at http://www.energyindependencetoday. com/.