Local Renewable Power Within Your Reach!
Building the Sustainability and Independence of our Island Communities
Reap the benefits: bill credits, local renewable energy source, local resilience
NOW Everyone Can Go Solar!
Community Solar offers an affordable and easy way to grow our own power! Members benefit from monthly bill credits and the whole Co-op benefits from a first step towards a local source for emergency back-up power.
Why is OPALCO doing this project?
Community Solar is the first step toward local solutions to expensive mainland power trends. It also offers increased redundancy, and the capability to re-route power for emergency services.
The Best Part: Save Money!
The solar units you purchase offset a portion of your electric bill. Experience a return on investment while also switching a portion of your electricity usage to clean, local solar power.
How does community solar work?
OPALCO community solar array produces electricity.
The electricity produced becomes net metering credits.
The credits are added to your electric bill, based on how many units you purchased.
Interested in taking part in community solar?
Frequently Asked Questions
See the full list of FAQs »FAQs
Contact us! Email us at solar@opalco.com with your contact information so we can keep you up to date on the project. We are collecting names and email addresses of members who are interested in purchasing Solar Units and will use that list to keep you updated as the next project takes shape.
Individual member investors. Our 2017 Community Solar survey results clearly demonstrated that members prefer the project is funded by those who participate, and not through rates. The Decatur Island Community Solar Project was paid for 100% by member investors.
Members are advised to speak with their tax advisor to determine their own tax situation. There are state and federal incentives that are available to individuals who install solar on their own properties which are not available through this Community Solar project. We continue to advocate for solar initiatives with our elected officials in Olympia.
We will have a camera stationed at the site to record the construction and completed array in real-time. We will also create a time-lapse video of construction once completed. Array production statistics will also be incorporated into the Community Solar area of the OPALCO website (see Decatur Community Solar Project). We also hope to provide on-site tours of the array once construction is completed.
From an engineering perspective, the energy produced by the array will be consumed by the power grid or stored in a battery storage system where it will be held until we need it (e.g. for immediate consumption, to curtail future peak demands, or potentially for emergency services during major outages).
To give more people access to the benefits of solar energy for a fraction of the cost, compared to rooftop. Community Solar lets individuals invest in smaller units of local renewable power. As outlined in OPALCO’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), this is just one step in providing increased redundancy, and the capability to re-route power for emergency services through use of local renewable energy and energy storage systems. Please note it will take multiple projects and a host of system upgrades to fully accomplish this goal.
No. Participants will own the output of their proportionate share of the array for the term of the Participation Agreement. OPALCO will operate and maintain the array. Member participation is an investment in the project with a return on investment but no legal ownership.
f you are no longer an OPALCO member, you can transfer your Unit/s to another active OPALCO member. If you move within the service territory you can transfer them to your new location. You can’t take ‘em with you if you leave the County. If you do not designate a recipient your shares will be donated to the OPALCO Energy Assistance Program.
Yes, this will vary depending on how many units you participate in. For most participants it will offset a small portion of your usage. The specific calculations will be developed as the 2021 project progresses.
The economics of the 2021 project have not been finalized. The Decatur Community Solar project cost was $150/unit. Stay tuned for more information as the project progresses.