Looking out for you...

Looking out for you...

0%

York Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Solar Energy

[PDF] Community Solar Application Terms

Community Solar Subscription Application
East York Industrial Community Solar Farm

York Electric Cooperative, Inc. (“Cooperative”) is implementing a community solar subscription program (the “Solar Program”) as more fully described herein to provide qualifying subscribers (each, a “Subscriber”) the opportunity to subscribe to a portion of the output from a community solar farm commissioned by Cooperative in cooperation with Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. and a third-party developer. The terms and conditions below (the “Terms and Conditions”) set forth in this subscription application (the “Subscription Application”) set forth the participation requirements and details related to the credit Subscribers may receive by participating. By signing below, Subscriber agrees to comply with and be bound by the Terms and Conditions.

[PDF] YEC Community Solar FAQ

You Can Go Solar Without Installing Panels on Your Property

You can go solar without installing panels on your property Community Solar gives members the opportunity to share in the benefits of solar power without the cost and maintenance of installing panels.

Shining New Year: Solar through the power of community

As we ring in the New Year, YEC’s community solar program is shining brighter. It has become more compelling since our Lesslie Community Solar Farm began energy production in September of 2016. The model has rapidly captured members’ interest to the level that we now have a waiting list which continues to increase monthly.

YEC Community Solar

We have worked diligently to find a viable site to build a second farm to meet your needs. I’m excited to announce our efforts will come to fruition this spring. The 180 kilowatt (kW) East York community solar farm will be constructed in the East York Industrial Park located off Park Place Road in York just south of American Eagle Wheel. We project the farm will be built by April depending upon the permitting process and weather conditions.

Investing in clean, renewable energy is important as we grow into the future, and community solar farms offer members an opportunity to invest in solar energy without the cost, hassle, and installation of solar equipment on their home. We see this not only as an investment in the future of energy, but as a way to accommodate the needs and expectations of our membership.

Members can participate for as low as $130 to start the program. Monthly billing will follow the initial fees at the rate of $12 per KW subscription. Subsequently, participating members will receive a solar credit on their bill at the rate of 10 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), which will be based upon the amount of energy the farm produces proportional to their kW subscription.

Our number one goal at YEC is to look out for you and to continue to serve you well. Our industry is changing and so are your needs. We’re not content to only deliver power. We also want to be a reliable resource in other ways, helping you make informed decisions regarding energy-related decisions. In order to do so, we listen to your needs; which improves our understanding, builds trust, strengthens our relationship and fosters cooperation.

Paul Basha, YEC President and Chief Executive Officer
Paul Basha
President and Chief Executive Officer

Learn more about community solar or other programs we offer, or call (803) 684-4248. Also, if you are considering installing solar panels, please contact us so we can give you the facts about solar and recommend a reputable dealer.

We are here for you!

Paul Basha

Paul Basha
President and Chief Executive Officer

Asplundh’s crews clearing rights of way helps YEC provide safe and reliable electric service. Photo: Oliver Dowdle

Staying Trim

YEC’s right-of-way (ROW) maintenance program helps to reduce outages that can occur in rain, snow or any other weather. Tree trimming helps us clear space around power lines, protecting them from tree limbs and underbrush that can lead to downed lines. Keeping the wilderness back takes constant attention, but it helps keep the power on for you and our linemen safe. See a detailed map of the ROW schedule planned for the first quarter in the Biggers Branch substation area. Questions? Call (803) 684-4248.
Related Topics:
Community Solar
Right-of-Way Schedule

Members can purchase locally generated, renewable energy

UPDATE: Construction is now complete and energy production began the first of September, 2016. All 50 kW of the community solar farm has been sold. YEC is in the process of looking for a site to build a second farm.

YEC Community SolarA new program from York Electric Cooperative will soon allow members to invest in solar energy without actually installing panels on their home.

Under the cooperative’s Community Solar program, available in June, YEC members can sign up to purchase power that will be generated at a 50-kilowatt (kW) solar farm in Rock Hill located near the Galleria Mall.

YEC members can sign up now to purchase some of the solar farm’s renewable energy output. Pricing is:

  • Up-front charge of $100 per kW unit
  • Monthly charge of $12 per kW unit
  • Monthly credit of 10 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)
  • One-time administrative fee of $30

Donna Dessaint, YEC member services representative and the co-op’s point person for its renewable-energy offerings, says the Community Solar program offers an affordable, low-risk way to benefit from solar energy without the hassles often involved in roof-top solar installations.

“Participating members avoid designing, permitting, installing, maintaining and insuring their own photovoltaic solar array,” Dessaint notes.

Members benefit, she adds, based on how much solar power they buy.

“Their Community Solar power purchases would offset part of their monthly bill. They would get a credit on their bill, based on the portion of ownership they have in the solar farm.”

York Electric is offering the program in response to member interest, Dessaint says. While the cooperative also assists members who want roof-top solar, consumer research conducted by South Carolina’s electric co-ops shows much stronger interest in Community Solar, she says.

“Many people who expressed interest in solar power recognize the benefits of the Community Solar approach,” she says. “Research in South Carolina has shown that the cost per kilowatt for Community Solar is roughly half that of roof-top solar. You get a better return on your investment by investing in Community Solar.”

Community Solar programs are being introduced by York Electric and other cooperatives around South Carolina. The state’s 20, consumer-owned, independent co-ops have collaborated through Central Electric Power Cooperative, their jointly owned power supply aggregator, to design solar programs for S.C. co-op members.

Donna Dessaint, a YEC member services representative, in front of the solar array at the co-op's Fort Mill office. Dessaint is the point person for the co-op's new solar programs. Photo: Joyce Baker
Donna Dessaint, a YEC member services representative, in front of the solar array at the co-op’s Fort Mill office. For details about the Community Solar program, contact Donna at (803) 818-5213. Photo: Joyce Baker

 

SIGN THEM UP!

These Fort Mill residents are eager for Community Solar

YEC member, Hitesh Patel
Hitesh Patel

Hitesh Patel and Cliff Toole live in different parts of YEC’s service area but face a similar challenge: They both wanted to add solar panels to their homes but just couldn’t make it work.

In Fort Mill’s Sutton Place neighborhood, Patel ran into neighborhood restrictions. “For my house, I was told I cannot install anything on the roof,” he says.

A YEC member for about eight years, Patel has been in touch with the co-op since YEC started gauging member interest in solar options in 2014. He’s pleased that YEC is offering Community Solar.

“What I liked about it is it’s a solar farm. It’s maintained. You don’t have to worry about the maintenance, or calling people–if something’s broken, they’ll take care of it. And you get reimbursed [for the solar power you purchase] on your bill.”

YEC member, Cliff Toole
Cliff Toole

Over in Springfield area of Fort Mill, Cliff Toole had looked into roof-top solar, too. “My house location is not well-situated to install panels,” he says.

Trees would block the sunlight, Toole says, and the pitch of his roof wasn’t right. Plus, he notes, “The house wasn’t built at the correct angle to the sun.”

A co-op member since 2009, Toole says the Community Solar panel helps him achieve a goal to cut back on his personal contribution to the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. “For me personally, it’s always about reducing my [carbon dioxide] footprint,” he says.

Patel is likewise pleased to have an easy way to invest in solar power. “It’s clean energy,” he says. “You can help with the cause for that.”

Icon

[PDF] Community Solar Application Terms

114.47 KB 730 downloads
Icon

[PDF] YEC Community Solar FAQ

250 KB 1380 downloads

 

Community Solar FAQ (12)

Solar communities are groups of solar panels kept at one location. They offer members an opportunity to invest in solar energy without the cost, hassle, and installation of solar equipment on their home. The return on their investment is shown as a credit on their electric bill.

Members subscribe to the output from YEC’s community solar site for a 20-year period, choosing the number of kilowatt (kW) units for their subscription. One kW unit will produce approximately 150 kWh per month. You can add more kW units at any time, as long as they are available.

When energy production begins, you will receive a portion of the production from the solar community each month, based on the number of kW unit subscriptions on your account.

Members pay a portion of the cost per kW unit upfront, then a monthly subscription fee is charged as a line item on the electric bill. The correlating output of the subscribed kW units is credited back to the member at 10¢ per kWh. Members pay a one-time $30 administrative fee for participating in the program.

  • Subscriptions Upfront Charge: $100 per kW
  • Monthly Unit Charge: $12 per kW subscription
  • Monthly Credit: 10¢ per kWh
  • One-time $30 administrative fee

Any YEC member in good standing may participate in the Community Solar program on a first come, first served basis. This excludes residential net metering and Advance Pay accounts.

Members are subscribing to the energy produced by the solar farm in relation to the number of kW units to which they subscribe.

The overall program term is 20 years. The minimum term participation is 2 years, and requires a 30-day notice of cancellation.

A member must subscribe to at least 1 kW unit, but cannot subscribe to more than 5 kW units.

YEC’s community solar array produces approximately 50 kW per month, which is roughly equivalent to the energy used by 7 average homes in YEC’s service area. However, it is important to note that solar production will vary from month to month based on weather and time of year.

While the cost of installing solar panels on a home varies greatly from house to house, YEC has attempted to keep the Community Solar pricing in line with the average cost of putting solar panels on a home.

Yes! If your subscription produces more energy than your home consumes in one month, you will see a credit on your account, regardless of the amount.

YEC will use tax credits associated with the Community Solar program which are figured into the program’s pricing.

If the community solar arrays are damaged during a storm, members will receive a proportionate share of the energy produced by any non-damaged panels while repairs are made.

If a Community Solar member moves from one home served by YEC to another home served by YEC, the solar energy subscription moves with the member.

If a member moves out of YEC’s service area, the subscription will terminate; the upfront charge paid upon beginning the program is not refundable.

Load More

Related Topics:
Community Solar Farm 
Renewable Energy 
MySCSolar.com

 

Co-ops develop MySCSolar.com to help consumers

Paul Basha, YEC President and Chief Executive Officer
Paul Basha, President and Chief Executive Officer

York Electric and South Carolina’s 19 other electric co-ops are shining a light on solar energy with a new informational website for consumers, MySCSolar.com. The site includes information about solar basics, finding an experienced, certified contractor to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, a Do the Math page that gives tips to size a PV system for a home, information about financing and tax incentives and a calculator to determine estimated costs and savings. Other sections include a Final Checklist & Questions and provide information about Energy Storage and interconnect requirements and applications.

MySCSolarLearn more online

You can also access MySCSolar.com through a link in YEC’s Renewable Energy section, which also features information about earlier solar initiatives and our Green Power program. As you’ll see, these are not insignificant efforts. Just as electric co-ops like YEC have built our reputation as a trusted source for reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity for almost 75 years, for the last 11 years, we’ve been offering our members a way to support energy fueled from renewable resources with Green Power.

Nationwide, electric co-ops are renewable energy leaders. Co-op capacity includes power generated from wind, solar, small hydro, biomass, landfill gas and geothermal installations. By supporting a wide range of fuels for electric power, YEC and cooperatives nationwide have always strived to reduce costs and keep rates low while ensuring reliable service.

A renewed commitment

Last year, YEC rolled out several programs—all completely voluntary, I might note—to offer interested members a way to support renewable energy. We’ve always stressed our commitment that members will not be subsidizing our renewable energy programs. Our position has always been that both solar and wind must represent viable alternatives in order for York Electric to embrace them.

We’ve always hoped that advances in technology would help this come to pass. Now that technological improvements, lower prices and a new state law have paved the way to making residential solar energy systems more accessible to South Carolina homeowners, we’re continuing our commitment to providing the most affordable, reliable, safe, and environmentally sound electricity.

Visit MySCSolar.com soon! Let us know if you have any questions. And, if some of our earlier renewable energy initiatives interest you, contact Member Services Representative Donna Dessaint at (803) 818-5213. Donna is our point person for YEC’s renewable energy programs.

We’ll have even more good news to share with you in the coming months about projects now in the planning stages.

Shine on!

 

Paul Basha

Paul Basha
President and Chief Executive Officer

Related Links:

MySCsolar.com
Renewable Energy
Green Power

New website informs consumers on solar in S.C.

MySCsolar.comSouth Carolina’s electric co-ops are shining a light on solar energy with a new informational website for consumers, mySCsolar.com.

“The site was created as a resource for co-ops and their members,” says Lindsey Smith, vice president of education at the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc., the state trade association for the state’s co-ops.” As co-ops make decisions about their respective solar policies or product design, mySCsolar.com will be updated to reflect them.”

The website includes information about solar basics, finding an experienced, certified contractor to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, a “Do the Math” page that gives tips to size a PV system for a home, information about financing and tax incentives and a calculator to determine estimated costs and savings.
Related Topics:
MySCsolar.com
YEC enhancing renewable power efforts with solar program
Renewable Energy