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PUEBLO, COLO. (November 24, 2015) – Amid a sun-filled meadow near Pueblo, Colo., Clean Energy Collective (CEC) and energy provider Black Hills Energy (BHE) celebrated the grand opening of the 120 kW Black Hills Energy Community Solar Array, the first roofless community solar project for BHE and its 94,000 southern Colorado customers. Open to BHE’s residential and commercial customers, the 1,280-panel PV solar array will produce approximately 190,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of carbon-free electricity per year. Participating customers will receive credit for the locally-made clean power directly on their BHE utility bill.
Colorado Senator Larry Crowder, R-Alamosa, lauded the project for bringing solar to people that don’t have the option to put solar power on their roofs. “This will do nothing but benefit the consumers who use this,” Sen. Crowder said.
Black Hills chose CEC’s model because it provides a turn-key solution that has been well vetted throughout Colorado and 10 other states. The project supports the investor-owned utility’s much broader efforts to introduce more choices in renewable energy for its Colorado electric customers and its goal to make solar power available in more homes, businesses and schools throughout its territory. “We anticipate that the benefits of renewable energy will be spread far and wide across our service territory,” said Christopher Burke, vice president of utility operations for Colorado.
Recognizing that this is the inaugural community solar facility for BHE, Clean Energy Collective is including a $0.70/kW discount on panels purchased by December 31, 2015. At $4.35/Watt, the 97.5-Watt panels will cost approximately $424 each. When applying the 30% federal tax credit, the effect cost is about $297, or $3.05/Watt.
A portion of the panels in the solar PV array has been allocated to Posada, the Pueblo-based organization that provides housing and supportive services to homeless individuals and families in Pueblo County, as a key partner in the project. Posada will pass the benefits directly to Pueblo's homeless and low income families, including formerly homeless veterans.
David Wiedinmyer, CEC’s director of business development, lauded the collaboration of the three entities with distinct motives, and highlighted the U.S. and Colorado roots of the project. “This is a real, local renewable energy, done in a way that folks from Colorado made happen,” Wiedinmyer said.
Space in this 120 kW facility is extremely limited. For more information, call Clean Energy Collective at (800) 646-0323, visit BHERooflessSolar.com, or call Black Hills Energy at (719) 546-6472.
About Clean Energy Collective
A solar tech start-up in 2009, Clean Energy Collective (CEC) has grown to become the world’s leading developer of Roofless Community Solar solutions. CEC pioneered the model of delivering clean power-generation through medium-scale solar PV facilities accessible to all utility customers. Since establishing the first community-owned solar array in the country in 2010 near El Jebel, Colorado, CEC has built or has under development more than 100 Roofless Community Solar projects with 25 utility partners across 11 states, serving thousands of customers, and representing more than 130 MW of community solar capacity.
About Black Hills Energy
Black Hills Energy serves 95,000 electric customers in 21 southeastern Colorado communities. Black Hills Energy is a subsidiary of Black Hills Corp. (NYSE: BKH), a growth-oriented, vertically-integrated energy company with a tradition of improving life with energy and a vision to be the energy partner of choice. Based in Rapid City, S.D., the company serves 792,000 natural gas and electric utility customers in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. The company also generates wholesale electricity and produces natural gas, oil and coal. Black Hills Corp.’s more than 2,000 employees form partnerships and produce positive results for our customers, communities and shareholders. More information is available at www.blackhillscorp.com.
About Posada
Incorporated in 1987 as a 501 C (3) Nonprofit agency, Posada provides shelter, housing and supportive services to Pueblo's homeless population. The agency is seen as the "gateway" agency for the homeless in the community and coordinates the local Continuum of Care Process. Over 140 households are sheltered or housed nightly through Posada's efforts and more than 100 people walk into the agency on a daily basis. Approximately 4,000 unduplicated men, women and children are assisted annually as well as 300 homeless unaccompanied youth. Posada seeks to provide self-sufficiency through reintegration into the community. For more information: www.posadapueblo.org
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