The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society will be launching a $4 million community solar project this fall with the assistance of a $2.6 million grant from the Renewable Development Fund. This year more than 20 renewable energy projects were funded with $42 million.
The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society’s community solar project is the only project funded that will be putting the new community shared solar legislation, passed in 2013, into practice. The project is slated to install two 500 kilowatt solar electricity facilities; one in an urban area and one in a rural area. The City of Minneapolis staff has been assisting with the search for sites and it the intention is to place the urban site somewhere in Minneapolis city limits.
The purpose of the project is threefold; to pilot community solar garden (CSG) installation practices by non-profit community entities, to evaluate the market value of local versus remote CSG participation and publicly document the critical path decision-making that public or non-profit entities must attend to in order to realize a successful installation and attract subscribers. The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society also hopes to create a space for a discounted purchase price for low income people and non-profit entities. “Non-profit entities often have difficulty making a solar installation pencil out because they cannot take advantage of the federal tax credit. The community solar model allows for investors to take the tax credit and pass these savings on to the subscriber,” said Laura Burrington, managing director of the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society.
Community solar is a new model for the solar industry in Minnesota that will create opportunities for under-served populations to support solar and participate more directly in sourcing their electricity. This includes renters, condo association homeowners, homeowners without suitable space for solar, and other community members who may not have the financial means or credit to afford a full system. Electricity customers will be able to purchase energy from a solar garden that is in the same county or contiguous county to their residence and have the energy credited to their utility bill. Currently, at least four cooperative utilities have launched their own community solar gardens in Minnesota, but none have been built in Xcel Energy territory yet. This particular project will be able to power more than 1,000 homes or allow for 5,000 subscribers each at the lowest subscription size of 200 kilowatts.
The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society hopes to launch the project in September, after contracts with Xcel Energy are signed. Any Xcel Energy electricity customer who lives in a county where one of these community solar gardens is located or in a contiguous county will be able to become a subscriber.
To get more information and get on the waiting list visit http://www.mnrenewables.org/community-solar or visit the Solar Area at the Eco Experience Building during the Minnesota State Fair to talk directly with knowledgeable volunteers about this opportunity.
Watch video below to learn more:
If you’re interested in learning more about Community Solar—like how it works, how much you should get, or who is involved in a project—check out the CERTs Guide to Community Solar and frequently asked questions.
Click here to view the original story from the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society >>
Community Solar Gardens are centrally-located solar photovoltaic (PV) systems that provide electricity to participating subscribers. Could it work for you?Are you interested in going solar but unable to do so on your own? Perhaps you live in an apartment, have a shaded roof at home, or don’t have space at your organization. Where do you want to start? |
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