Grid tie co-op

icarus
icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
I had a question posed on another forum that caught my eye.

Has anyone ever heard of a (reputable) PV co-op? One where someone could invest some money to buy PV in a pool with others to finance a Pv farm for example. This might be an ideal way for someone to buy PV in small doses, using the utility rebates/tax credits etc, but with out the need to commit to putting a large system on their house. The economies of scale might be such that the KWH cost might be substantially less than a home based grid tie install. In addition, such a "farm" would be ideally sited.

Anybody know of such things,

Tony

Comments

  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Grid tie co-op

    i don't know of canada or all states, but i'd say a co-op is not rebate-able by all of the individuals because they want gt at the residence of the individual applying for it. if the farm is on that property then the rebate can go to that individual home owner. commercial may be slightly different as i didn't read into that aspect very much, but i doubt all that chip in get the rebate as the co-op as a commercial entity would get it one lump.
  • tallgirl
    tallgirl Solar Expert Posts: 413 ✭✭
    Re: Grid tie co-op
    niel wrote: »
    i don't know of canada or all states, but i'd say a co-op is not rebate-able by all of the individuals because they want gt at the residence of the individual applying for it. if the farm is on that property then the rebate can go to that individual home owner. commercial may be slightly different as i didn't read into that aspect very much, but i doubt all that chip in get the rebate as the co-op as a commercial entity would get it one lump.

    That's my understanding as well.

    Another problem with the Co-op model is that a Co-op is going to be a commercial entity for the utility as well and potentially not benefit from the feed-in tariffs that is available to residential users. So while it might make plenty of power, the value of that power is likely going to be well below the value to an individual.

    What I have heard from clients is that "friendly" utilities may be more willing to buy power at higher rates if they have design control over the peak time. That would be something to look into before planning or joining a Co-op.
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Grid tie co-op

    Thanks guys,

    As it turns out, with some deeper thought, these kind of programs already exist through many utilities.

    Puget Power in Washington State has a program (I think CMP in Maine does as well I think) that allows you to buy "green energy". You pay a premium on your bill to represent (in this case) the capital cost of the hardware, but then they give a small green energy credit. You can buy anywhere from 5-100% of you power this way. By doing so, helps fund RE through out the region.

    Tony