APRIL 13, 2016 BY
Yampa Valley Electric Association, GRID Alternatives Colorado and the Colorado Energy Office are partnering to develop a community solar array that will be 100 percent dedicated to income-qualified YVEA members. Members participating in this program will receive a bill off set from the energy produced by their portion of a community solar array. Find more information at http://www.yvea.com/content/grid-alternatives-community-solar-project
Who is GRID Alternatives? GRID Alternatives Colorado is a nonprofit organization that makes renewable energy technology and job training accessible to underserved communities. GRID brings together community partners, volunteers and job trainees to implement solar power for lower-income households, providing energy cost savings, hands-on installation experience, and a source of clean, local energy that benefits everyone.
In these community solar gardens, participants receive the benefits of energy from the sun as if the solar system was on their own roof, but their solar panels are located offsite away from their home in a larger, shared community array. For more information on GRID’s Community Solar Program visit: http://www.gridalternatives.org/regions/colorado/about/community-solar
How does this project differ from the Clean Energy Collective array in Craig? For the CEC solar garden, YVEA decided to have a developer build, own and operate the array. YVEA wanted to experience how this would work, with members having a direct relationship with the developer instead of through YVEA. YVEA supports the project, but does not own or control this solar garden. For the GRID project, YVEA is choosing to experiment with owning, operating and maintaining the garden. GRID will help YVEA build it and support it over time.
Who can qualify? To qualify for this program, participants must pay their own electric bill to YVEA and their total household income must be at, or below, 80 percent of the area median income of their county. GRID generally used previous years’ tax returns as income verification.
YVEA will not be accepting applications – this is done through GRID Alternatives. So if you are interested in participating in this project and would like to see if you qualify, please complete the preliminary questions below. These go directly to GRID Alternatives for the client intake process. GRID will review your responses and follow up with you directly with more information and next steps. Call or email Brandee at GRID Alternatives at (720) 943.5162 or bcooklin@gridalternatives.org.
Click here to complete preliminary questions http://www.yvea.com/content/grid-project-preliminary-screening-questions
