Salt Lake Community Solar: Empowering Utah Communities with Solar Energy

What is Community Bulk-Purchase Solar?

Community bulk-purchase solar is a proven, highly successful model designed to help homeowners overcome the logistical and financial hurdles of going solar. Participants unite to tackle the solar process as a team, realizing great cost savings through bulk purchasing power.

Learn more:

Salt Lake Community Solar Workshop Presentation (11/14/11)
Salt Lake Community Solar Presentation at Sugarhouse Community Council (12/7/11)
Article: Embracing the Sun for the Solstice and Efficiency Resources (12/21/11)
Upcoming Events: None Scheduled. Please check back or sign up to receive regular updates

What is Salt Lake Community Solar?

Salt Lake Community Solar is a pilot community bulk-purchase solar initiative that will help:

simplify the solar process
ensure competitive pricing and quality projects
reduce up-front costs of residential solar

Salt Lake Community Solar is a partnership effort of Utah Clean Energy (a 501c3 non-profit) and the First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City (a charitable non-profit). The campaign is targeted to members of the Unitarian Church, but will be open to all interested parties in Salt Lake City/County on a first-come, first-served basis (consideration will be given to geographic boundaries to maximize efficiencies). This effort is modeled after numerous successful campaigns across the country. Learn more here.

How does it work?

Drawing from the experience of similar efforts, the following outlines the main steps to the program:

Learn about solar—Potential participants attend workshops and events to learn more about solar and the process.
Group Purchase Price Bid by Solar Contractor – A designated Solar Steering Committee will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for solar contractor(s); the bid will set predetermined price breaks according to number of participants and/or kilowatts installed (i.e. tiered pricing).
Take the Solar Survey (coming soon!)— An initial survey will help determine if your home is suitable for solar (and/or energy efficiency measures).
Enroll – By enrolling, you reserve a spot in the project and initiate the process to get a more extensive site assessment and bid from the selected contractor. Enrolling does not mean you are committing to install or purchase; enrolling will add your name to the queue and initiate the process described herein. You can opt-out at any time.

Join the Salt Lake Community Solar Project

Email:
Site Assessment – The selected contractor(s) will conduct a site assessment to determine suitability for solar, system size, and cost.
Commit to Install—Once you have had a chance to review the bid and determine if solar is right for you, join friends, family & neighbors and commit to installing solar on your home.
Spread the word—Spread the word to friends, family, and neighbors! The more members participating in the program, the better the deal for participants, based on tiered prices.
- Download the Salt Lake Community Solar flyer and share with friends, family, and neighbors
Sign your contract with selected installer and have your system installed!
- Work with the installer to complete net metering agreement with utility and file paperwork for any incentives.
Celebrate! – Join Salt Lake Community Solar to celebrate a successful bulk purchase campaign!

Solar 101

Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells work by converting sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. The DC electrical charge is then converted into alternating current (AC) electricity by a power inverter to be used for your household electricity needs. Solar PV can help power your home with an abundant clean, renewable, price-stable, carbon-and fuel-free energy resource. Installing solar requires contracting with the utility through a ‘net metering’ agreement, so you can get credit for any kilowatt hours you provide to the grid. Solar is a low-maintenance and relatively simple technology. The selected contractor will provide you with all the details you need to know about your solar system. For more information on how solar power works, click here.

FAQs

Q: How will I know if solar energy can work for me?
A: You will complete an initial solar site survey first; if your site appears suitable, the solar installer will do an on-site assessment of your home to help you determine whether or not solar PV makes sense for you.

Q: What rebates or incentives are available for solar PV systems in Utah?
A: At this time, you can take advantage of the following incentives for solar PV on your home (it is advised you consult a tax attorney for any questions regarding tax incentives):

State Tax Credit: 25% of total costs up to $2,000
Federal Tax Credit: 30% with no cap (exp. 12/2016)
Utility Incentives: Vary, consult solar contractor
State Rebate: may or may not be available at time of purchase, consult solar contractor

Q: How long will the process take?
A: The time frame for this campaign will depend on how many people commit to going solar. Once the bid is issued, enrollment will be a limited-time offer. We hope to see installations begin in spring of 2012.

Q: I’d like to participate, but I don’t have the extra money right now. What can I do?
A: We are currently working with local credit unions and solar installers to make financing available for those interested. Additionally, you may be interested in energy efficiency as an initial first step. Please stay in contact with us to get additional updates on this front.

Learn More
For questions or to get involved, please contact:
- Michael Mielke, mm2222ut@aol.com
- Arik Parker, arik@utahcleanenergy.org
- Sara Baldwin, Sbaldwin@utahcleanenergy.org

You can also follow the links below to learn more about solar power: