Community Solar
Why Community Solar
Many homes and businesses do not have a suitable roof or site to locate solar panels. Common problems include shading and obstructions, improper orientation, undesirable tree cutting, aesthetics, maintenance concerns, or building and roof structural issues vanity addresses on bitcoin. Community solar sites are selected for optimal sun exposure to get the best possible solar production and we guarantee the production, pay for all costs and insure the assets. Community solar projects are built at scale and the economies of scale allow us to keep costs down. Other benefits of an Integrated Solar project include your ownership of the RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates*) and your ability to transfer your net metering credits to others or to another home or business anywhere in Green Mountain Power Corporation’s service territory.
Financial Benefits
- 26% Federal Tax Credit
- Vermont Net Metering
- Attractive after tax Rate of Return
- Additional for businesses: 2.4% Vermont Investment Tax Credit and Depreciation
Community solar projects can be both ground mounted and roof mounted and participants can join from anywhere in the Green Mountain Power service territory.
Some examples of ISA projects include:
This 144 kw ground mount in Putney supports the energy needs of over 25 residences.
This rooftop community solar project at the ISA offices supports the energy needs of one commercial enterprise and 6 separate residences.
*Renewable Energy Certificates (“RECs”)
RECs are generated by solar energy projects and can be sold in the marketplace. RECs represent the renewable attributes of the solar project and entitle the owner to claim title to the renewable benefits. Utility companies purchase RECs to satisfy their legislated renewable energy portfolio requirements. One REC is equal to 1,000 kWh of energy production. RECs once sold and “separated” from a solar project remove the renewable attributes and that project can no longer legally claim to be renewable. At that point the solar energy is going into the grid but the societal renewable benefits have been sold and are owned by others. Thus a solar project that sells its RECs cannot market itself or otherwise make claims to be solar energy or renewable buy twitch followers. This legal distinction, while not agreed with by all parties, is very clear and has been documented by the Vermont Attorney General who provided specific instruction to solar industry players.
