Sen. Hwang Joins UI and CT GreenBank for the Launch of ConnectSun in Fairfield
October 4, 2018Fairfield—At the Pequot Library in Fairfield on Tuesday September 25th, state Senator Tony Hwang (R-28th District) joined representatives from UI, the Connecticut Green Bank (CGB), and Fairfield town officials to celebrate the opening of the ConnectSun pilot program in Fairfield.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for ratepayers who want to participate,” said Sen. Hwang. “Once again, I’m proud of the Fairfield community for being at the forefront of new innovations to make Connecticut greener. Throughout this whole process, it’s important that we always consider and respect the wishes of the neighborhoods where this infrastructure is to be installed. What’s right for one are may not be right for everyone.”
The ConnectSun (https://www.energizect.com/connectsun) program offers significant cost savings for ratepayers in Fairfield to install solar and battery storage in an effort to increase the reliability of the electric grid. The underlying rationale for the program is that through adoption of solar and battery storage, UI can defer or avoid electric distribution system upgrades that would otherwise be necessary.
“We are excited about this opportunity to learn more about how distributed energy resources, like solar and storage, and energy efficiency can provide locational value, reliability, and resiliency for homeowners and the electric grid,” said Bryan Garcia, President and CEO of the CT Green Bank.
The ConnectSun program came about as collaboration between UI and the Connecticut Green Bank. ENCON was the local contractor chosen by competitive bid to make the installations and system upgrades for the program.
“ConnectSun is a true representation of UI’s commitment to effectively integrate Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) into the electric distribution system. Increased adoption of DERs will require a smarter, more automated distribution grid to efficiently deliver safe and reliable power to every customer,” said Roddy Diotalevi, UI’s Senior Director of Sales & External Relations.
Participants in ConnectSun are also eligible for additional incentives.