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Community Solar for Community Action

Southeastern Vermont Community Action southeastern-vermont-community-action

WestminsterVT

Attributes

  • State Vermont
  • Utility type Investor-owned utility (IOU)
  • Regulatory Structure Regulated
  • Community Solar Bill Credit Value Value of Solar
  • Community Solar Enabling Legislation Yes
  • Value of State Level RECs & Subsidies Low = less than 10% of value stack
  • Eligible for Tax Benefits No
  • Installation type Ground
  • Year energized 2019
  • Project capacity 83 KW AC
  • LMI Share of Capacity 25%
  • LMI Requirement Carve-out
  • Energy Rate Average $0.20
  • LMI Customer Savings 100%
  • Minimum LMI Savings Mandated No
  • Potential # LMI Subscribers 50

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Related Best Practices

  • Local Incentives

    Some municipalities or counties offer incentives for solar installations, including property tax exemptions, streamlined permitting, rebates, or other incentives based on system capacity or energy production. Every county or municipality has their own framework for incentivizing (or disincentivizing) solar installation. They also have authority to set ordinances that set the requirements for how, when, and where solar can be installed.

  • No-cost Site Lease

    In some instances, project developers can negotiate a no-cost site lease. This is common when state or local governments or institutions sponsor a community solar program. These entities may have rooftop space or vacant parcels suitable for solar installation. While no-cost land leases do not lower upfront investment costs, they can lower ongoing operating costs.

  • Philanthropic and Corporate Grants

    Private foundations or corporations provide grants for renewable energy development. Grants may be offered geographically or to specific segments of the population, especially low- and moderate-income, BIPOC, and environmental justice communities. Many foundations are focused on climate and equity, providing significant opportunities to fund community solar projects that serve these communities. Most foundations publish Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that announce project eligibility requirements, funding limits, as well as the requirements and timelines for submitting your proposal. 

    Grantsmanship: https://www.tgci.com/funding-sources 

  • Public Funding/Crowdsourcing

    In this model, donations or investments are sourced from individuals or organizations, usually consisting of small donations from many donors. New community and crowdsourced financing models for solar will expand the availability of cheap capital -- if regulatory risk can be cleared.