Thanks to an oversubscribed pilot program, Colorado Springs’ Community Solar Garden – the largest in the US – is about to get much bigger.
Another 10 megawatts (MW) of community shared solar will be added to the existing 2 MW by 2016.
Anyone can lease or purchase one or more solar panels in the "garden," paying for solar that’s "not on your house or apartment." Solar panel owners get a fixed credit on their utility bill of $0.09 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for 20 years.
As of October, close to 300 residential customers had purchased over 500 panels.
Ratepayers will subsidize the cost, which will range from $22 million to $33.2 million over 20 years.
The City Auditor estimates ratepayers could be charged an average of $2.91-$4.63 a year and the largest industrial customers could pay $10,633 -$16,895 more.
Critics say it could drive industrial customers away and "squelch economic development," says the Colorado Springs Gazette. And since it’s not required because the state already meets its Renewable Portfolio Standard, why bother with it?
Much of the interest in the garden is from young professionals. "This is cutting-edge. It is what that next generation is looking for," Councilwoman Brandy Williams told the Gazette. And giving people more access to solar will reduce reliance on fossil fuels, preventing the need to build more power plants, notes Bernie Herpin, another council member.
Another large solar garden is nearby, a 1.1 MW installation built and maintained by Clean Energy Collective, its 15th solar garden.
Florida is about to get its second solar garden. The first in the Keys has been operating since 2008 and now Orlando plans to build one.
Another big one is the UK – a 5 MW solar garden serves 1500 households, the first in the country.
Read Guides to Developing Community Solar.
Check out this Shared Solar Program Comparison Chart to find out where these programs are:
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