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The combination of two proposed solar gardens(500 kW and 2 MW), to be built next year, will reduce green house gas emissions by more than 2,800 tons anually and produce enough clean energy to fully power over 900 homes. THANK YOU TO THE TOWN OF BRECKENRIDGE for providing land for the project.
Your Interest is Needed Now - Show Xcel Energy You Want This Project to Happen
Solar Garden Overview and FAQs
The Clean Energy Collective will submit two applications on behalf of Summit County citizens. One for a 500 kW system, and another for a 2 MW system, through a slightly different application process. Xcel Energy will release its program for a limited number of Colorado solar gardens by the end of the year (6MW).
Subscribers are needed NOW for both systems.
Subscriber interest is non-binding. A refundable deposit will be collected when Xcel accepts the Summit County application. Non-refundable payment will be collected when the system is built in Summer, 2012.
Price: Approximately $3-$3.50 per installed Watt, or $3000-$3500 per kW (kilowatt).
(What's a kW? One kW produces between 1400-1700 kWh per year in Summit County. Purchase 1 kW and you will receive approximately $15-420 off your monthly bill.)
Simple payback: approximately 10-15 years.
Annual return on investment: 6-7%
Lifetime return on investment: 700-900%.
Lifetime cost of energy from panel production: 3.2 cents/.kWh (current residential Xcel rate is 10 cents/kWh
Why a Solar Garden?
- More people will be able to access solar power production. In 2008, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimed that only 27% of roofop area is suitable for hosting on-site solar production.
- Solar gardens are located on optimally sighted land. If your roof is not perfect for solar, this could be a good option for you.
- The project allows you, the consumer, to take advantage of economies of scale. Because panels are purchased and installed in bulk, the overall price is less per panel.
- If you plan to sell your home, your share is transferable to any electricity meter in the county. You can also sell your share back to the developer at any point.
- Businesses qualify. Renters qualify. Any individual or entity with an Xcel electric meter in Summit County can purchase a subscription.
-This is a distributed generation project. The clean energy will be produced and used in Summit County, creating local jobs, contributing to our energy independence and reducing the need for tranmission lines.
Our Developer and Partner?
The Clean Energy Collective is developing a number of solar gardens in Colorado. They recently installed a 800 kW solar garden in Garfield County. They have a successful and viable liability and ownership model for the project and a remote metering software allows you to read your share output from your phone.
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