Trout Creek Community Solar
PrintTrout Creek Community Solar – Buy Local!
This “Buy Local” program is perfect for renters or anyone who wants to support locally sourced green energy without on-site construction. Participants pay a small premium to source a portion of their monthly electricity directly from the 2 MW (megawatt) Trout Creek Solar facility is located on the Colorado Department of Corrections’ Buena Vista Correctional Complex property south of Buena Vista.
SDCEA’s Trout Creek Community Solar Program allows residential members to subscribe to either 1 kilowatt (kW) or 2 kW blocks of capacity generated monthly by the Trout Creek Solar facility. Non-residential members may subscribe to 2 kW, 4 kW, or 8 kW blocks of monthly energy output.
The community solar program is made possible by a 25% carve-out of capacity of the system. Available by subscription to consumers who opt to pay a little extra each month for that energy, community solar may also be attractive to consumers who cannot or do not want to install solar panels at their home or business.
By participating in the community solar program, SDCEA consumers will source a portion of their energy from the local Trout Creek Solar facility. The relative portion from each source will depend on the consumer’s monthly usage and the number of blocks to which they subscribe.
To sign up for the program, use the form below or contact SDCEA with any questions, toll-free, 844-395-2412 or email: info@myelectric.coop.
Trout Creek Community Solar FAQs
May I subscribe for multiple accounts? Are subscriptions limited per member or per service?
Subscriptions are allowed for each service (i.e. service location on each premises) that a member may own or lease.
May I subscribe for my business?
Yes, you may subscribe to the TCCS Program for your business, as long as it is not on a Large Power Rate Schedule.
Is there a cost to sign up or to take me off?
Yes, there is a set-up fee to sign-up for the TCCS Program and if I opt-out (terminate) my subscription. This fee is similar to a member service changing from any of SDCEA’s Rate Schedules to a different one because of the administrative time needed to make the necessary changes in SDCEA’s billing system. The Community Solar Set-up/Opt-Out and Rate Schedule Transfer fee amounts can be found in SDCEA Board Policy C-99. Currently, the fees are $50 to set up and to end a subscription.
Is there a limit to the size of my subscription?
For residential services, you may sign up for a 1 kW or 2 kW block of Trout Creek solar generation. For commercial (non-residential) services, subscriptions can be in 2 kW, 4 kW, or 8 kW blocks.
How much of my bill will 1 kW or 2 kW block cover? How does a kW translate into a kWh?
Based on the anticipated generation of the Trout Creek Solar facility, a 1 kW block will generate on average about 240 kWh of energy each month. However, that amount depends on the performance of the array given factors such as the season, higher than normal sunny or cloudy conditions, or required maintenance.
What happens if my usage is less than the amount I purchase, do I get a credit?
If your usage is less than the amount of energy generated by your TCCS Program subscription, you will not get a credit. You will only get billed for the energy you use whether it is from SDCEA or Trout Creek Solar. You will only pay for what you need!
How will enrolling in community solar affect my monthly bill? Will this save money on my electric bill?
Enrolling in the TCCS Program will not save you money on your bill since the energy provided by Trout Creek Solar is slightly more expensive than the energy that SDCEA obtains for our members from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, SDCEA’s wholesale power provider. If you sign up for 1 kW block of the TCCS Program, your monthly bill will increase by about $2.40.
What are the benefits to being part of solar community?
By subscribing to SDCEA’s Trout Creek Community Solar Program, you are supporting SDCEA’s development of renewable energy resources by buying solar energy generated locally.
If you’d like to sign up for the program, please use the form below. If you have further questions, please call toll-free 844-395-2412 or email info@myelectric.coop.
