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2015-2016 Solarize Brunswick Program

The Town of Brunswick is pleased to announce ReVision Energy of Portland, Maine as its
partner installer for the 2015-2016 Solarize Brunswick program. Beginning immediately, the
Town and ReVision will work to promote the program through a number of Launch Events,
building on outreach already done by the Town. Between now and the end of 2015, ReVision
will contact Brunswick residents, businesses, and organizations interested in solar to arrange
site visits and draw up quotes, with installations planned for Q1/Q2 2016.

The purpose of the Solarize Brunswick program is to help people get the best deal possible on
solar energy systems through group purchasing. The more people who sign up for a solar
energy project before December 31, 2015, the lower the cost of the project for everyone who
participates. This model has proven successful in many other towns in northern New England
where there is a strong level of local community involvement and people are willing to spread
the word about the opportunity. Studies on solar adoption have proven time and again that the
number one predictor of where a future solar energy system will occur is the proximity of an
existing system--good neighbors helping other neighbors get in on the powerful benefits of
renewable energy.

Selection of winning bidder for Solarize Brunswick has followed a deliberative process set in
motion by the The Town’s release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) in July 2015. In response to
the RFP, the Town received four qualifying bids from area installers. At the same time, the
Town appointed a Selection Committee to evaluate bids. Bids were evaluated based on four
criteria highlighted in the RFP, and weighed in roughly equal measure: quality of the equipment
and installation; support of the customer provided by the bidder before, during and following
installation; value of the proposed bid to the customer, in particular the value of the tiered
pricing mechanism; and commitment to outreach and promotional activities.

All of the received bids were strong in one or more criteria. Multiple bids were strong across
the board. But, only ReVision offered a proposal that was price-competitive, strong on features,
and backed by a reputation for quality and service in the Brunswick area stretching back over a
decade. Other factors were taken into account as well. The Town has been gathering names of
interested residents and businesses, including tax exempt organizations, and has collected over
240 so far. The size of ReVision’s operations -- distributed across northern New England, with
689 systems installation installed in 2014 alone, 486 of which taking place in Maine and more
than 50 of those in Brunswick -- inspire confidence that it can serve a successful Solarize
Brunswick program in the planned timeframe. In addition, ReVision’s ability to arrange Power
Purchase Agreements (PPAs) makes it particularly attractive for some of the large tax exempt
organizations that have expressed interest in Solarize. Finally, ReVision’s commitment to
Community Solar Farms (CSFs) make it attractive in Brunswick, where there has been strong
interest from consumers for a CSF option.

The Selection Committee considered all of the bids carefully, and considered more than one bid
in its final round of deliberations. However, after rounds of Q&A and following interviews, it
chose ReVision Energy unanimously and without qualification as the Town’s partner installer.
The Town eagerly looks forward to working with ReVision to make Solarize Brunswick a success!
Said Phil Coupe of ReVision, "All of us at ReVision Energy are grateful for this opportunity to
partner with Town of Brunswick to help residents, businesses, non-profits and the town itself
acquire robust, reliable solar energy systems at the lowest possible cost through the Solarize
community purchasing program. Maine's strong solar resource is proven to deliver a solid
economic and environmental return on a solar energy investment and we look forward to
helping Brunswick reduce its long-term energy costs and the carbon pollution that results from
burning oil, propane and natural gas."

For more information, contact Linda Smith, Business Development Manager, Town of
Brunswick, 85 Union Street, Brunswick, Maine 04011 / 207-721-0292 /
lsmith@brunswickme.org .