Solar Energy

A 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.

SIGN THEM UP!

These Fort Mill residents are eager for Community Solar

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.”

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.”

[PDF] Community Solar Application Terms

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[PDF] YEC Community Solar FAQ

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