Spring is finally here and the sun is shining brightly. It’s the perfect time to start thinking solar, and Hudson Valley Clean Energy is kicking its Solar Neighborhoods program into high gear for the season.

HVCE has been a leader of the solar energy revolution for nearly a decade, and we’ve been working hard to invite everyone we can to get on board and start saving money on their electric bills. Part of this effort includes our Solar Neighborhoods program, in which you and your entire community can reap the benefits of solar energy as a group. When purchased collectively as a “Solar Neighborhood,” we’ll take $500 off each system price for your friends and neighbors.

If you are an existing HVCE customer who would like to throw a Solar Neighborhoods party at your home, we’ll provide light refreshments and prepare a presentation for your guests explaining the benefits of joining a solar energy community. We’ll also give you $250 for every person that you recruit to join a Solar Neighborhood!

So go soak up some rays – you’ve been waiting for this all winter. And while you’re out, go knock on your neighbor’s door and tell them about HVCE’s Solar Neighborhoods program. We’d be glad to help you get started.

Attention Hudson Valley Clean Energy solar customers:

We are urging Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation to change their tariffs to allow PV system owners to change their “anniversary dates” with the utility. Currently, some customers are at an unfair disadvantage based on what month their solar systems were installed. We need your help in making this happen and TODAY is the last day!

One of the biggest financial benefits of a net-metered residential solar system is having the capability to accumulate “credits” for excess generation. Customers whose systems are turned on in the warmer spring and summer months are able to generate credits and then use them in the lower-producing winter months. However, having an anniversary date in the winter or fall often results in the customer not having any credits available in the winter, then accumulating credits in the summer which are zeroed out in the fall at a lower cost.

Investigation of Central Hudson’s tariffs does not reveal a passage which prohibits the changing of an anniversary date, but the utility continues to refuse to do so. It’s unfair that some customers are receiving better returns on their investments than others simply because they were lucky enough to have their systems installed in the spring.

We urge you to send a letter to the Public Service Commission so that all solar customers in the Hudson Valley receive a fair exchange on their electricity. In your letter, please reference Central Hudson rate case No. 09-E-0588. Address your letters to: Hon. Jaclyn A. Brilling, NYS Dept. of Public Service, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223-1350. If you would like a template to use for your letter, please e-mail Lindsay at lindsay@hvce.com and we’d be more than happy to send you one.

Thanks for your help in addressing this important issue! Remember, this is the last day that the PSC will be receiving comments. Send in your letter now!

Hello clean energy enthusiasts!

We got some great news here at Hudson Valley Clean Energy a few weeks ago. The New York State Senate and Assembly passed a bill on Feb. 21 which improves upon the state’s net metering laws, which were expanded in 2008 to include non-residential customers.

Net metering allows customers with renewable energy systems to sell excess power back to the utility company.

The amendment lifts restrictions contained in the language of the original bill which limited the amount of power that non-residential customers could net meter. Pending Governor Paterson’s signing of the bill, non-residential solar customers would now be able to net meter up to 2 megawatts of power.

To read the press release from the New York State Solar Energy Industry Association regarding the passing of this amendment, click here.