Clean Energy Collective (CEC) recently broke ground on four new community solar facilities in Denver that will make an additional 1.7 MW of local renewable energy production available to Xcel Energy customers in Denver and Jefferson counties.
Part of Xcel Energy’s Solar Rewards Communities program, two new 500 kW community-shared solar PV systems are under construction on a 5-acre site at the Evie Garrett Dennis School campus in northeast Denver, and just to the west 569 kW and 115 kW systems are being developed on a 4-acre site in Golden, Colorado.
CEC now has nine total community solar facilities operating or under construction in partnership with Xcel Energy, including facilities in Denver, Aurora, Boulder and Breckenridge, and a total of 16 facilities for the state. More than 75% of ratepayers in Colorado now have access to community solar.
Xcel Energy’s business and residential ratepayers in Denver County and Jefferson County will be able to purchase individual panels in the new arrays, from one kilowatt up to enough panels to off-set 120% of their electric usage. Customers will then receive credit for the energy produced directly on their monthly Xcel Energy bill, as if the PV system were located on their home or business.
“Never before has the opportunity to use local clean energy been available to so many people so easily,” says Paul Spencer, founder and CEO of Clean Energy Collective. “Affordable and accessible solar is an important part of our energy future, and it’s exciting to see Colorado leading the nation in community-based renewable energy solutions.”
CEC’s community-owned solar model allows 100% of a utility’s ratepayers — including businesses, renters, those with shaded properties, and people of all income levels — the opportunity to own clean, locally-produced energy. Members receive rebates and incentives just like home-sited systems, and the arrays are sited and maintained to operate at peak efficiency, delivering clean, dependable power for decades.
Customers in the new projects will pay $3.70/W after available rebates and tax incentives. Refundable panel reservations are being taken now. The combined facilities are expected to produce approximately 2,828,000 kWh of clean energy in the first year alone, enough to power about 2,500 homes annually. Additionally, over the 20 year Xcel Energy agreement, CO2 omissions will be reduced by over 92 million pounds.
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