[ ABOVE: Jim Donahoo, marketing director of LEC, at their new community solar farm ]
Laurens Electric Cooperative (LEC) celebrated an energy milestone on Tuesday with the announcement of its community solar farm program, a first for South Carolina. The solar program allows customers to purchase renewable energy for a monthly fee.
“This program gives our members the option to go solar without installing panels on their property,” said Jim Donahoo, marketing director for the co-op. “There is no liability for the member, no HOA rules to worry about and the subscriptions are transferrable.”
The solar farm, which is located behind the co-op’s Mauldin office on Butler Road, has six solar panels that can generate about 100-kilowatts. LEC announced its plans for the program in April. In June, LEC started construction on the farm and pre-sold units.
The program “sold out” with 29 members subscribing to solar panel units, according to Donahoo. Selected members then chose the number of kilowatt units they wanted for a 20-year period. LEC selected members on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The selected members had to pay an upfront charge of $50 per kilowatt unit and a one-time $20 administrative fee. The members must also pay a monthly charge of $14 per kilowatt unit. However, the decision to go solar could be beneficial.
Donahoo said that the solar farm would offset 200,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. In the U.S., carbon dioxide accounts for 82 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions, which can cause multiple health issues. Solar energy production reduces the use of power plants, which account for 31 percent of U.S. emissions, according to the EPA.
The program also has the same positive impact to the environment as:
- Avoiding driving for 5.6 million miles for the life of the program.
- Planting 62,500 trees over the life of the program.
However, participating LEC members might notice only a slight savings as 1-kilowatt solar unit produces an amount of energy equivalent to about 12.5 percent of a customer’s home energy use. Members only receive 10 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Despite that, participating members “can expect to see a payback on the initial investment in four to six years,” said Donahoo.
LEC plans to add more solar panels to the installation in 2017 because of high demand, according to Donahoo. Interested members can apply for a maximum of five kilowatts for a minimum of two years. About 30 percent of the next phase is already reserved.
For more information, visit communitysolar.laurenselectric.com.
All photos by Jack Lukow for the Upstate Business Journal.
