Maine Community Solar Farm Shares Now Available

ReVision Energy is excited to announce that Community Solar Farm shares are now available to all Central Maine Power customers. Community solar farms (CSFs) make going solar possible for those who want clean energy but don’t have the ability to put solar panels on their own residence or property. Recent changes in solar law at the state level have expanded the number of members for each CSF, lowering the associated costs and expanding access to more Mainers.

Solar farms are a way to bring solar to people who rent, own a condo or home that is unsuitable for solar, or who have maximized the solar potential at their existing home and want to generate more solar electricity. With a CSF share, members do not have to live near the farm itself, as long as they are in the same utility territory (i.e. CMP).

ReVision Energy provides an ownership model of community solar, meaning each participant owns a share of solar in one of the community projects, rather than participating as a subscription-holder. In our model, a group of residents or small business owners are paired up with a host and invest together in a large solar array which is built on the ground in an ideal solar location (typically an open field, business park, or brownfield). 100% of the generation from the solar farm is sent to the grid and automatically credited to the accounts of the solar shareholders based on their stake in the solar farm. This billing function is called “virtual net metering” and enables members to offset their electric bills through bill credits produced at the solar farm.  A kilowatt-hour produced at the solar farm will directly offset a kilowatt-hour consumed at the member’s home. 

The power produced from the array, besides being clean and produced locally in Maine, is much less expensive than the power currently sold by the utility. By investing in solar energy, members are locking in a flat rate of electricity for the next 25+ years (the panels are warrantied for 25 but have a life expectancy of 40 years). Members are also able to take advantage of the 26% federal tax credit, and ReVision Energy offers financing that enables many members to swap out their monthly electric bill for a loan payment, thereby going solar at no upfront cost.  A great advantage of the solar farm ownership model is that the share is portable – if you move to another home or apartment (within CMP’s territory), your community solar share comes with you. If you need to move out of CMP’s service territory you can sell your share to another person. 

 

ReVision Energy has been building and operating community solar farms since 2014, when the first CSF in the state went live at Sunnycroft Farm in Paris, Maine. We now operate fourteen CSFs around the state and are looking forward to building our next one under the new legislature. David Kuchta of Scarborough has owned a share of our Flag Pond CSF since 2018 and says his share offset 95,298 pounds of carbon in the first year alone. “It’s a major investment with a steep learning curve, but once we walked ourselves through the math, my wife and I realized what a no-brainer it was economically. Once our solar loan is paid off, we own our own power, and our total electricity costs will only be a small CMP delivery fee. Our solar loan is less than what our average monthly electricity bill was—and is fixed-rate.” The electricity generated from David’s share offsets his air source heat pump, heat pump water heater, and Electric Vehicle charging station, and he is passionate about his solar system.

“So today, we drive to and from work, heat and cool our home, heat our water, and keep our lights on with energy from the sun . . . We love that we are supporting a local business and providing extra income to a local farmer while simultaneously saving us money and helping heal the planet. Most importantly to us, we have a teenage daughter who is both scared and excited about her future. She’s too old to be picked up when she’s frightened. This is our way of letting her know we are doing our best to give her the future she dreams of.” 

To learn more about Community Solar Farm shares, please fill out this form. https://www.revisionenergy.com/solar-power-for-your-home/community-solar-farms/ 

 

The post Maine Community Solar Farm Shares Now Available appeared first on ReVision Energy.

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