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Utility invites residents to invest in solar energy

Shares in may bring credits on electric bills till 2035

By Aaron Corvin, Columbian Port & Economy Reporter
Published: January 6, 2015, 4:00pm

Residential customers of Clark Public Utilities may now sign up to invest in solar energy, the utility said Tuesday, as it expects to have a community solar project up and running by June.

The utility has hired Seattle-based A&R Solar to build a 74.8-kilowatt array with 272 ground-mounted photovoltaic panels near the corner of Padden Parkway and Northeast 117th Avenue at the Clark Public Utilities Operations Center.

Construction is slated to begin in early spring, using only materials manufactured in Washington, and the solar array is expected to start putting electricity onto the grid by June. A share of the system is 1∕12 of one solar panel and costs $100. Residential customers may buy one share or up to 100 shares, paying as a lump sum or splitting it up quarterly or monthly over a year. All payments will be made by way of customers’ utility bills.

No payments for purchased shares will be collected before the system is operating, but the utility is offering the 3,264 shares for sale now. Customers may sign up at www.clarkpublicutilities.com/communitysolar or 360-992-3365.

“Shares will be sold first-come, first-serve,” Matt Babbitts, the project manager, wrote. “Community solar projects in other cities have sold out quickly so those interested are encouraged to sign up soon.”

With state production incentives and annual energy generation credits, the utility said, participants can expect to be paid back in less than four years. And investors will continue to receive generation credits on their bills for the life of the system, estimated to be 20 years.

Shareholders will cover the total $326,400 cost, which includes construction, marketing and the monitoring to capture generation data. The project is the first of its kind for Clark Public Utilities.

On a frequently-asked-questions page on its website, the utility says solar power can work in Clark County. “Despite our cloudy cover, the Pacific Northwest receives more sun exposure than Germany, the world leader in solar energy,” according to the utility. “More solar energy is being soaked up in Clark County every year and by sharing the cost to build the array, the investment pays back quicker than individual systems.”

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Columbian Port & Economy Reporter