Community Solar
For many people rooftop solar is not an option since they are not homeowners, their roofs are not suited to solar or the cost of solar is prohibitive. Community solar is available for most everyone who pays a PGE electricity bill and does not have rooftop solar. When you sign up for community solar, PGE is obligated to purchase energy on your behalf from small scale solar farms in this area. The advantages include:
- Guaranteed 100% renewable energy.
- Lower energy bills – 5% minimum discount and higher discounts for low-income subscribers.
- Pay through your current electric utility – no additional bills.
- Easy, no-cost sign up and easy cancellation.
- You help provide green energy jobs in your community.
Common Energy will be at the fair and you can sign up for community solar right there. They have 80 community solar projects in Oregon and 9 other states, and they are adding new projects all the time.
The Oregon Clean Power Cooperative offers a different model of community solar. The Co-op focuses on building solar and other renewable energy for schools, churches, nonprofits and local governments as well as businesses, and has successfully created multiple public-private partnerships to leverage tax credits for renewable energy. This type of solar makes Oregon communities more energy resilient. They provide local, independent energy sources and microgrids that provide power even if wildfires, earthquakes or other natural disasters take down the electric grid. In addition to exhibiting, Dan Orzech from Oregon Clean Power Cooperative will speak about different models of community solar at 1:00 pm at the Fair.
There is some type of solar for you, and by attending the fair you will find out what it is!
