Solar garden a 'done deal' Nelson Hydro manager declares
By Timothy Schafer
With only three panels left to sell and less than one week left in the pre-sales deadline, Nelson Hydro’s general manager has declared the city’s solar garden project a go.
Alex Love said that 147 panels in the pre sales event have been sold — nearly 75 per cent of the total project — giving the city’s utility enough financial wherewithal to move ahead.
As of Thursday, the project exceeded the 150 panel solar garden pre-sale target.
“We will definitely be building it,” he told city council Monday night.
This means the city will be building at least its minimum target of a 200-solar panel project next year, or larger if there is continued interest and more people buy in.
Love said surely the remaining 50 panels would sell since the first 150 sold so quickly.
The city’s Bonnington Generating Station lands are to be used as the solar garden site. The Bonnington location, where Nelson Hydro currently generates hydro electricity, does not pose acquisition challenges. The site can accommodate the 50-100 kilowatt array, said Love, and perhaps allow for further expansion.
“There are adequate sunshine hours, access to grid tie in and Internet connection,” he said.
The Community Solar Garden pre-sales period started Nov. 17 and will run through to Dec. 15. Nelson Hydro had set a target of 150 panels for pre-sales to generate enough capital for the program to move forward.
Last month Love said the highest cost to each customer was anticipated to be $923.45 per panel but now may be lower depending on the level of sales achieved. The pre-sales deposit fee is $500 per panel.
“I don’t know the final cost of the panel as it depends on how many people buy in,” and there might be another grant coming in to defray the cost, Love pointed out.
The anticipated total cost of the project is $224,689 for a 200-panel (50 kW) project. The project may be larger if sales interest remains strong, Love noted.
In the community solar garden — a centralized solar panel array installation — people can choose to subscribe to a portion of the solar array and receive a credit on their utility bill in proportion to investment, doing their part for the environment by using green energy.
This type of project makes solar accessible to those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access it such as: renters; those with unsuitable rooftops; and those who cannot afford an installation on their own.
Funding for the project will be provided through Nelson Hydro ($25,000 in 2015 and an estimated $2,000 per year for maintenance), a Bullfrog Power contribution ($15,000) other possible funding sources, and the remaining amounts recovered through the customer charge for each panel.
This project will be the first of its kind in Canada, where the solar credit is returned on the customer’s electric bill, said the city’s EcoSave program coordinator, Carmen Proctor.
The solar generation is sold on a per panel basis, and the customer is credited on their electricity bill in proportion to their investment for 25 years.
For the 50kW array, which is approximately 200 panels, it is estimated that the array could generate about 61,440 kWh per year.
The credit would be measured in kilowatt hours, based on the current electricity rate, so the value of the credit will increase as the rate goes up.
Twenty-five year contracts would be set up for customers to receive a solar credit on their Nelson Hydro bill on an annual basis in proportion to their investment.
The solar credit would be measured in kilowatt hours for the energy produced.
Nelson Hydro has already set aside a budget of $25,000 for the Community Solar Garden in the 2015 business plan. City manager Kevin Cormack said the city is currently pursuing additional grants to help fund the start-up of the project.
Buy-in basics:
- Minimum purchase is one panel, maximum is 10 panels until last week of pre-selling phase, then there will be no maximum.
- Up front payment can be made, or a payment plan can be accessed through on-bill financing or the Nelson and District Credit Union.
- Credit can be transferred to any Nelson Hydro account, subject to a $100 processing fee.
- People will receive an invoice for the remainder of the deposit for the panel, or the deposit will be returned depending on whether the 75 per cent commitment level is met.
