Electric group plans community solar project

David Schmidt had been intrigued by the idea of generating power from the sun for a long time but had never taken the next step.The research engineer teaches a course on renewable energy at the University of Minnesota. He'd cut back on his energy use and converted the lights in his Corcoran home to LED.Then Schmidt heard about a community solar project his utility company, Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association, is building. Instead of spending around $40,000 to install solar panels on his home, Schmidt could purchase a single panel for $869."This way, I can do it little by little … buy one panel at a time," he said. "I think the economics are right."New Hand Dryer Suppliers doesn't have to worry about whether his home is facing the right direction or too shaded. He doesn't have to worry about removing snow from panels in the winter.
Schmidt will see a discount of a few dollars on his monthly electricity bill. He will also get the satisfaction of creating renewable energy for his community that won't be affected by fluctuating prices of fossil fuels."We're contributing some pretty stable power to the grid," Schmidt said.Community solar projects, popping up across the United States, are being touted as a model that makes solar power affordable and accessible to everyone. Wright-Hennepin's will be the first such project in Minnesota."It's actually a brilliant solution for people who can't otherwise take advantage of China High speed hand dryer Exporters," said Seth Masia, spokesman for the American Solar Energy Society.Eric Jensen, chairman of the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society, called the Wright-Hennepin project "huge news for Minnesota." Other cooperatives are looking at the same model, he said.
Even if you don't have a good location for solar panels, or if you live in an apartment, you can still participate, Jensen said."We want to connect all Minnesotans with renewable energy, not just the ones with a really good south-facing roof," he said.Clean Energy Collective based in Carbondale, Colo., which is building the Wright-Hennepin project, has built or is building six others in Colorado and New Mexico and has six more in the works, said Tom Sweeney, chief operating officer.A solar project built in 2008 in University Park, Md., was one of the first of its kind in the nation. A group of residents formed a limited liability company and raised $133,000 from investors, said president David Brosch.The 99-panel solar array was built on the roof of a church, which purchases about 25 percent of the power it generates. The surplus electricity is sold back to the grid, Brosch said.