What's happening with the WH Solar Community?
Posted by Guest Blogger on March 22, 2013
The WH Solar Community project has received a lot of interest, both from WH members and the media. The concept of a community project, where all panels are located in one place and not on individuals’ homes, is appealing to many. This picture depicts what the project will look like:
A member buys one or more panels (up to enough to power their home), but instead of putting the panels on their own roof, they are housed, side-by-side, at WH’s headquarters in Rockford. Each participating member receives a monthly credit on their electric bill based on the system’s performance (as well as based on the number of panels they have purchased). All maintenance and cleaning is done for them, as well as computer monitoring of the performance of the system. But what is the status of the project today? Here is an update:
Currently we are sold out of our first unit of solar panels. We are taking reservations for our second unit, and are about 1/3 of the way sold on that project. The city of Rockford has approved our permit to build the WH Solar Community. We plan to begin construction in six to eight weeks (depending on the weather – lately we’ve had a lot of snow!) and have the project completed by Memorial Day weekend.
Are you considering participating in unit two? If so, it could be a great fit for you. There is a one-time fixed price and you will receive the bill credits for years to come. The break-even point is estimated at 20 years, however the project will last longer than that so many consider this an investment. And what if you decide to move? Well, if you continue to live within WH’s service territory, you can just keep the panels. Since they are not attached to your home, you can move anywhere in the service territory and still receive the bill credits. If you would like to move away from the service territory, you can sell them or give them away to family / friends – depending on what you prefer.
It is an exciting time at WH and we’re pleased to be offering such a revolutionary project. It is the first in the state of Minnesota. If you have questions, or are considering purchasing panels in unit two, give us a call! (763) 477-3000, or visiting our page.
Blog written by: Andrea Unger, Marketing Coordinator.