Prince William County is Participating in Solarize NOVA Program

Prince William County has partnered with the Local Energy Alliance Program, or LEAP, to bring Solarize NOVA to county residents. The Solarize Virginia program in Northern Virginia helps people navigate the complexities of going solar and makes solar installation more accessible to consumers. 

“Prince William County is participating in Solarize NOVA for the first time this year,” said Giulia Manno, Prince William County’s Office of Sustainability Director. “This initiative will benefit community members looking to install solar on their homes by walking them through the permitting process, vetting installers, and offering discounted bulk purchase pricing.”  

Homeowners can sign up from now through Aug. 31, 2023, for a free solar home assessment and discounts from vetted LEAP installers. LEAP also provides ongoing customer support and education to streamline the process. It is free to sign up for the assessment and requires no commitment until homeowners sign a contract with an installer.  

“The county’s participation in Solarize NOVA is a step toward meeting the county’s Climate Mitigation and Resiliency goals of reducing the county’s greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030 from a 2005 baseline and for the county’s electricity to be from 100 percent renewable sources by 2035,” Manno said. “Residential energy accounts for about 20 percent of the county’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Removing barriers to residential solar installations will help to meet both the county’s greenhouse gas reduction goal and the renewable energy goal.”

People interested in learning more about home solar can register for an upcoming Solarize Virginia webinar with sessions scheduled for July 19, Aug. 1 and Aug. 17.  

The U.S. Congress recently increased the Federal Investment Tax Credit, often called the solar tax credit, from 26 to 30 percent allowing consumers to deduct 30 percent of the cost of their solar installation system from their federal taxes. 

Since 2014, more than 1,000 Virginia homeowners have made the switch to solar, which generated 9.2 megawatts of solar capacity. Last year, 299 Virginia residents went solar through the program with 188 of those homes in Northern Virginia.  

More information about Solarize NOVA can be found on the county’s website at pwcva.gov/department/sustainability/solarize-prince-william-county.