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Press Release: CEC and Next Step Living Partner to Broaden Solar Accessibility
Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Clean Energy Collective and Next Step Living Partner to Broaden Solar Accessibility

Fast-growing energy efficiency company integrates community solar solution into whole-home approach

 
 
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2014

Media Contacts 
For CEC: Tim Braun, b2,inc.
(970) 618-0080
tbraun@b2inc.net

For Next Step Living: Jean Sexton, Spiralgroup
(530) 263-6519
jeans@spiralgroup.com
 

 

BOULDER, COLO. – (May 13, 2014) Clean Energy Collective (CEC), the nation’s leading community solar developer, announced today that Next Step Living, the Boston-based provider of whole-home energy solutions, is an authorized agent to sell CEC’s community solar solutions to Massachusetts customers in WMECo and NGRID territories.

The agreement combines the Next Step Living whole-home approach to affordable and accessible energy solutions with CEC’s rapidly growing community-owned solar expertise in order to accelerate solar adoption in Massachusetts. Next Step Living estimates that most of its almost 75,000 customers can’t go solar with traditional rooftop solar, making CEC’s community solar an especially attractive solution for both new and existing customers.

“We are proud to partner with an innovative company like Next Step Living,” said CEC President Paul Spencer. “This new strategic relationship immediately magnifies our customer reach to serve the growing demand for community solar in Massachusetts.”

CEC has 2 MW of community solar under construction in Massachusetts and another 10 MW under development. The first projects, coming online next month, are the 997 kW Western Massachusetts Community Solar Array in Hadley, Mass. serving ratepayers in the WMECo territory, and the 997 kW Southeastern Massachusetts Community Solar Array in Rehoboth, Mass. serving National Grid customers. Ratepayers interested in cutting their electricity costs can learn more at MassCommunitySolar.com or NextStepLiving.com/CommunitySolar.

CEC’s community-owned solar model enables 100 percent of a utility’s ratepayers — including businesses, governments, renters, nonprofits, those with shaded properties, and people of all income levels — the opportunity to own locally produced clean energy. Community solar customers receive similar rebates and incentives of rooftop, or co-located, systems.  Shared utility-scale arrays are also sited to operate at peak efficiency, delivering about 15 percent more power generation than traditional rooftop systems,.  Additionally, every purchase comes with a comprehensive operations and maintenance program to ensure optimum performance for decades to come.

“We are excited to expand our whole-home approach to energy efficiency with the addition of community solar from CEC,” said Next Step Living founder and CEO Geoff Chapin. “We know that 80 percent of Massachusetts residents that would like to ‘go solar’ haven’t been able to. Community solar is a game changer and really democratizes renewable energy. It no longer matters that people rent, live in a multi-unit property or have the wrong roof orientation or too much shade.”

Next Step Living, just named the fastest-growing private company in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal, employs 800 energy advisors and operations, sales and community-relations personnel; it has more than tripled its staff over four years as homeowner demand increases for help in reducing utility costs and avoiding harmful environmental impacts.

About Clean Energy Collective

Clean Energy Collective (CEC) is the nation’s leading developer of community solar solutions. CEC pioneered the model of delivering clean power-generation through large-scale facilities that are collectively owned by participating utility customers.  Since establishing the first community-owned solar garden in the country in 2010 near El Jebel, Colorado, CEC has built or has under development more than 40 community solar projects with 18 utility partners across 8 states, representing 26 MW of community solar capacity. EasyCleanEnergy.com

About Next Step Living

One of the fastest growing companies in the country, Next Step Living™ is the leading provider of whole-home energy solutions. Headquartered in Boston’s Innovation District, Next Step Living makes it easy and affordable for people to live in homes with a low environmental impact. A one-stop service provider of informed advice, funding guidance and expert work, Next Step Living partners with more than 400 municipalities, civic organizations, leading corporations and utility companies to deliver energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for better living. Since 2008, Next Step Living has helped New England homeowners achieve more than $18 million in energy savings, which is expected to grow to more than $90 million in the next five years. Next Step Living makes our world better. Please visit NextStepLiving.com for more information.

 

 
Clean Energy Collective
Phone: 1-800-646-0323
Web: www.EasyCleanEnergy.com
 

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Press Release: CEC and Next Step Living Partner in Massachusetts