Xcel approves two SGI solar gardens, including one in Aurora
A consortium of community-based companies will build, manage, and finance two subscription model solar arrays in
Colorado. Each array will have 497 kilowatts of capacity, enough to power over 100 subscribing households. The
solar photovoltaic (PV) developments will be available to all Xcel Energy customers under the Solar*Rewards
Community program. According to an Xcel Energy press release, on opening day (August 15, 2012) the program was
fully subscribed within 30 minutes.
Solar Gardens Institute founder Joy Hughes said, “It’s wonderful that the vision of distributed, community-owned solar
is coming to our big cities and small towns. When a roof is not ideal for solar, offsite shared solar is a rapidly growing
part of the solution to climate change. Anyone, regardless of income, can now receive clean solar energy through the
Solar Gardens program. It’s only the beginning – we’d like to see the program expanded in future years.”
Governor Bill Ritter signed the Community Solar Gardens Act into law on June 5, 2010. In July 2012, the Colorado
Public Utilities Commission approved rules allowing Xcel Energy Solar*Rewards to open the program. Like a
community garden allows people without their own gardens to grow plants, a solar garden allows people who don’t
have a good space for solar panels to subscribe to a shared solar array. Subscribers receive credits on their monthly
Xcel bills, similar to the credit for a rooftop solar array. Residents, businesses, nonprofits, faith communities, and local
governments can become subscribers and realize a savings on their electric bills.
“Our company feels privileged to be a part of a new and exciting initiative to help bring the solar gardens concept into
reality,” said Solar Power Financial founder Barry Ruby. “Our goal is to offer our subscriber customers maximum
energy savings. Our team members, Namasté Solar and Solar Gardens Institute, have the ability to help reach that
goal.”
"The heart of the Community Solar Garden concept provides access to clean, affordable energy to many people that
are currently restricted from the market. We cannot imagine a better philosophical fit than this program with Namasté
Solar's triple-bottom-line (people, planet, profit) and employee-ownership business model. We are very committed to
working with other like-minded groups in order to bring these projects to fruition. We are excited to add this new
chapter of Community Solar Gardens to Namasté Solar's story of holistic business." stated Stanci March, Commercial
Project Developer and co-owner of Namasté Solar.
In 2010, the City of Aurora hosted a meeting of 70 members of an ad-hoc solar gardens working group to discuss the
PUC rulemaking process and to explore securities and tax questions. City officials later toured the development’s
chosen site and were present at a lease signing ceremony at Aurora City Hall. Aurora Solar Garden One will be
located just southeast of Denver International Airport on retired farmland. Xcel Energy customers throughout the City
of Aurora and throughout Adams County may participate.
Said prospective subscriber and Colorado State Senator Suzanne Williams (D-Aurora),"After three years of work and
conversation, Aurorans now have an opportunity to enter into a new dawn of community-owned solar. Membership in
a Community Solar Garden will not only help the environment by using a natural source of energy, but will save
money for the subscriber." (In ancient Roman mythology, the goddess of the dawn was named “Aurora”.)
City of Aurora Environmental Programs Coordinator Karen Hancock said “The City of Aurora will do everything it can
to assure a smooth process for this first of its kind project.”
Saguache (“sa-WATCH”) is a town of about 600 residents in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado. While over
20% of the county’s residents live below the poverty line, the region is blessed by the state’s most abundant
sunshine. Residents are excited about the economic potential of solar development and are concerned about
preserving the area’s natural and historic character.
Says Esther Last, owner of Saguache’s 4th Street Diner (a potential subscriber), “It’s great to see a small town like
Saguache able to participate in this program, even before some of the big cities.” (The next time you are in
Saguache, be sure to try a slice of Esther’s pie!)
In 2008, a group of residents in the Town of Saguache formed the Saguache Alliance for Green Energy (SAGE)
under the auspices of the nonprofit Saguache County Sustainable Environment and Economic Development
(ScSEED). The solar garden will be hosted at Mountain Valley Lumber just south of town. Any Xcel Energy
customers in Saguache, Chaffee, Alamosa, Rio Grande, Mineral, and Hinsdale counties may subscribe to Saguache
Solar Garden One.