Denver-based SunShare has contracted with Adams County to provide the regional government with clean, reliable energy from Community Solar Gardens.
Adams County will be the first county in the nation to power its buildings with privately developed community-solar energy. SunShare is one of the nation’s first community-solar providers.
“We are really excited to partner with Adams County,” said Marc Bencivenni, vice president of SunShare. “Their leadership in sustainability and innovation is clear and should be an inspiration for surrounding communities.”
“Adams County has made an important first step in moving to cleaner energy,” said Nick Kittle, the Performance, Innovation and Sustainability Manager for Adams County. “We believe this project is a winning opportunity for our organization, our community and our citizens and we are excited to be the first county in the nation to be a partner in a community solar garden.”
In 2010 the Colorado state legislature led the nation by passing the country’s first Community Solar Gardens Act. The act has inspired 16 states from Minnesota to California to develop legislation creating their own Community Solar Gardens programs.
The Community Solar Gardens Act allows customers who either can’t or don’t want to put solar panels on their homes to buy solar energy from a solar array located elsewhere in the community.
Electricity generated by SunShare’s Solar Gardens is fed into the main power grid. SunShare’s customers buy a specific amount of energy from the solar garden and receive a credit on their Xcel Energy bill for that amount.
SunShare has more than 11 MW of community solar gardens built or under development in Colorado’s Front Range. SunShare has projects underway with Colorado Springs Utilities and Xcel Energy with the capacity to serve over 2,200 homes.
Linda Thomson says
I found it and shared on my Facebook page Green Living For The Lazy And Spoiled
Omar Harrington says
This company has put out press material with false information. This is NOT the first county or other municipality to power its buildings with community-solar energy. Colorado’s San Miguel County purchased solar power in a community array last year, and again this year, as has counties and towns in Colorado since. Please fact check.
Linda Thomson says
You need a Facebook “share” button and a Pinterest “pin it” button so more people can spread the news. Solar is wonderful.
Frank Andorka says
Thank you! We agree that solar is wonderful. We do have a Facebook share button at the bottom of the story, and we used to have Pinterest. I’m not sure where it went. I’ll see if I can find that one.
Thanks again for your interest.