Members of Pee Dee EMC display yard signs indicating that they purchase output from the co-op's community solar farm. (Photo By: Pee Dee EMC)
Pee Dee EMC members can purchase the output from up to 15 of the community solar farm's 360 panels. Each panel sells for a one-time fee of 525. Participants will receive bill credits for the energy produced, as well as yard signs which read "We've Got Panel Power."
"We've promoted the idea of an 'all of the above strategy' for energy generation," said Donald H. Spivey, CEO of the Wadesboro-based co-op. "The one piece missing was renewable energy."
More than 50 of the nation's electric cooperative currently operate or are developing community solar projects.
"About 75 percent of the housing stock in the United States is not suitable for rooftop solar so community projects are an attractive option," said Jo Ann Emerson, CEO of NRECA. "Since community solar projects enjoy economies of scale and siting and maintenance advantages, consumers pay less for the same benefits."
The North Carolina project is expected to produce about 150,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity within a year. According to Spivey, the co-op's directors and staff have fielded a lot of inquiries from members about solar.
"There are significant barriers that people have to clear when they want to add solar to their homes, affordability and maintenance being two of the main hurdles," said Spivey. "Grouping solar panels together in this community solar farm, costs are shared and power output is maximized."
The co-op's board decided last spring to develop a community solar project in part to give members an opportunity to use the technology without taking on the costs of upkeep or the initial expense of development.
The panels outside the co-op's headquarters began generating electricity in December. The co-op began marketing panels in early January. About 290 are still available.
"This is a tremendous milestone for Pee Dee Electric," Joe Brannan, CEO of North Carolina EMC, said during a March 6 ribbon-cutting ceremony. He also praised the co-op for its willingness to address the interest co-op members have shown in the technology.
Three additional North Carolina cooperatives have launched solar projects with assistance from Raleigh-based North Carolina EMC. They are Roanoke Electric Cooperative in Aulander; Surry-Yadkin Electric in Dobson, and Tideland Electric in Pantego.
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