COMMUNITY SOLAR

Community solar happens wherever multiple community members share in the costs and benefits of a single solar installation. Many creative models are emerging across the nation for everyone, including renters, shade-dwellers, and those on a fixed budget to go solar through community-scale projects. Northwest SEED is a leader in the field of Community Solar, working to increase access and reduce upfront costs.

Our efforts include:

Seattle City Light Community Solar Program Design
With help from Northwest SEED, Seattle City Light secured a $300,000 grant from the DOE Solar America Cities program to develop a customer-supported community solar installation. Northwest SEED is providing program design assistance, including the establishment of a Solar Revolving Fund to replicate the first installation many times over. Ratepayers will be invited to participate by making an upfront purchase, in return for production incentives and energy credits over time. See more about the program here. For more information about the Solar America Cities program, visit: http://www.solaramericacities.energy.gov/.

Whidbey Island Community Solar at Greenbank Farm
Whidbey Island’s Port of Coupeville won a $25,000 grant from Puget Sound Energy to develop a Community Solar P-Patch at Greenbank Farm. Northwest SEED is helping one local group, Island Community Solar, LLC, to be the first to plant their panels at the Farm. Northwest SEED is providing technical assistance with project design, securing additional project capital through grant writing, and helping to ensure that the project lessons learned are widely shared so that other groups can pursue solar projects across Washington.

Taking a cue from our green neighbors to the South, Northwest SEED is replicating the success of Solarize Portland. Using the power of neighbor-to-neighbor organizing and the compelling cost savings of a group purchase, Solarize Seattle will help targeted neighborhoods go solar as a group! Sign up for Solarize Seattle news alerts here:

National Community Solar Guidebook
Last year, Northwest SEED authored The Northwest Community Solar Guide, offering an in-depth look at real community solar projects. In addition to case studies, the guide provided practical project planning advice on financing, legal, and program design issues. Now, Northwest SEED is partnering with the National Renewable Energy Lab and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to revise the guide with a national scope, including new emphasis on securities issues and ownership models, with content from our partners, Stoel Rives and Keyes and Fox. The Northwest Community Solar guide is available here for free download. The national version will be available in September, 2010.

Lopez Island Neighborhood Solar:
In 2009, the Lopez Community Land Trust (LCLT) completed development of one of the first zero-net-energy, affordable housing projects in the United States. The project consists of 12 super efficient buildings, providing a new office space for LCLT and low-income housing to Lopez residents. Northwest SEED provided LCLT with assistance in planning, design, procurement, and construction of a 33kW PV system to meet the community’s net-energy needs.

The PV system was installed in June 2009 by Power Trip Energy and an amazing group of volunteers/solar trainees: