In the past few years, the number of households that have turned to rooftop solar has risen exponentially. The obvious reasons behind this are the drop in prices of solar panels, great deals on lease purchases, and last but not least, increased awareness and willingness to turn to clean energy.
Unfortunately, many are still hesitant or unable to install panels on their own house roofs, despite the fact that they also want to get involved in solar energy production. Now, they do not have to wave good-bye to the idea. They should simply plug into a community solar garden.
The Solar Garden approach is becoming increasingly popular across the U.S. In principal, it allows customers to buy a small part, of a big communal solar array. For the electricity that their panels have produced, the owners receive credit, which is then taken out of their electricity bill, which is pretty much the same as having your own panel on the roof. This allows everyone to take part in solar, regardless of whether they live in an apartment building or a house with unsuitable for fitting a solar panel rooftop.
The place where the Solar Garden approach was born is Colorado. The concept was accepted incredibly well, leading to the complete sell out of the up-coming Colorado Springs solar garden, before it has actually began construction. The massive solar array will consist of more than 10,000 panels, which will generate enough electricity to power 500 homes. The company that owns the project, SunShare LLC, hopes to begin construction by the end of the year.
It seems like a pretty good deal. You receive a return on your investments in no time, you receive renewable energy credits and you take part in a clean energy generation, without having to even own a rooftop. And even, you might be able to monitor your panels wirelessly, if the Japanese Mu-Sensor makes it to the market, of course.
Image (c) New York Times
