SolarWorld announced it has been part of community solar programs in Charlotte, N.C., and Salt Lake City.
Through these programs the company offers high-performance, American-made SolarWorld solar panels installed by skilled local contractors at volume-discount pricing.
SolarWorld has been actively involved in a number of community solar movements. Since 2009, the company has partnered with solarize campaigns in 26 communities in four states to supply about 3 megawatts (MW) of American-made SolarWorld solar panels to nearly 1,000 families.
In North Carolina, a group called the Cleaner is Cheaper coalition, supported by more than 20 community, faith and grass-roots groups, kicked off Solarize Charlotte today with an emphasis on bringing clean, safe power to low-income communities and working families.
Following the U.S. Department of Energy’s solarize model – formerly the province of early-adopting solar states on the West Coast – Solarize Charlotte is one of a new wave of programs bringing community-based solar to emerging solar markets such as North Carolina.
In another instance, University of Utah launched the nation’s first community solar program sponsored by a university. The U Community Solar campaign offers discounted solar panels and installations to university faculty, students, staff, alumni and campus guests.
Administered by the nonprofit Utah Clean Energy, the program also allows participants to give associated renewable energy credits stemming from their solar panels to the university, helping the university achieve its carbon-reduction goals.
SolarWorld has supplied solar panels for community solar programs since the solarize concept was conceived by residents of a Southeast Portland neighborhood in 2009. The company has provided more than 2.6 MW of solar panels to 18 communities in Oregon alone.
In Washington, the solarize programs are administered by the nonprofit Northwest SEED and supported by utilities Seattle City Light and Snohomish County Public Utility District, and SolarWorld has supplied panels to five communities in and around Seattle since 2012.