The Town of Breckenridge is working toward our community-wide goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2035. Rebate programs and tax credits are available to those who are able to install rooftop solar at their residence, but what about everyone else? Now there's a program available for those who want the benefit of solar but can't install their own solar PV system.
Meet solar gardens. They've been around a long time but can be confusing. Often, it's hard to find availability for residential sized energy loads and residents don't know how to shop for programs. That's all changing. Now, there's a program available through Energy Outreach Colorado, a state-wide non-profit working to help low-income Coloradans afford their home energy so they can remain safe at home. But first, what exactly is a solar garden?
According to Pivot Energy, a solar garden developer and partner of the Town of Breckenridge, "Community solar gardens are connected directly into the utility distribution grid. The electricity generated by the solar garden is sent to the existing utility grid, and then distributed in the energy mix to surrounding homes and businesses in the community. The clean energy is measured by a meter at the source as it is sent to the electrical grid. That meter is monitored by the utility to ensure that participants in the garden receive credit for their contribution to the project. Each participant or subscriber to the facility receives a monthly credit on their energy bill that reflects their respective allocation."
To put it simply, residents can subscribe to a solar garden for a period of time and realize the benefits of solar energy on their utility bill. Not all programs are the same, or offer the same savings - it's all based on the financial structure of the project. But in the end, most programs offer additional cost savings and solar credits in addition to clean energy.
Energy Outreach Colorado has a FREE solar garden program available for residents (owners or tenants) in Colorado who <80% AMI and/or qualify for LEAP. This program will allow residents to realize 50% cost savings on their electrical bill without having to install any equipment. Interested? Contact EOC today for a consultation and start saving with clean energy.
Visit: bit.ly/EOC-comm-solar
Call: 303-226-7069 or 303-226-7060
Email: solar@energyoutreach.org
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