Coming Together to Harness the Sun Affordably

What if solar panels didn't need to be on your roof or in your yard?

What would solar cost if a community solar project was put together by a local non-profit group?

How can renters and condo owners go solar?

How can property owners with lots of shade trees go solar?

Randolph community solar Farm answers these questions

What is a Community solar Farm?

A community solar farm is a small scale solar generating project managed cooperatively by its members. We are a group of local people acting together to meet our common energy needs, sharing ownership and making decisions democratically. A community solar farm is an organization created to bring the benefits of solar power to its members. Our solar project's principal goal is to provide reliable local solar power at an affordable price. We have pooled our resources and effort to create a one acre solar farm in Randolph Center, Vermont and will share the electricity produced. Vermont's group net metering law makes it easy to share the power generated by a solar project with each member through our electric bills.

The Brandon Airfield Solar Farm

Our first community solar project was completed in December 2015 on an ideal solar site in Randolph Center Vermont. This 183 kW solar array is tucked away in a hay field off a dirt road. We are excited to have the electrons flowing. 36 households are members of the project, and share the electricity produced by the solar array.

SAVE OVER 30% ON THE COST OF A SOLAR POWER SYSTEM: $2.70 / watt

Because of the shared expenses, the economies of scale and the non-profit approach of the project, the costs are significantly (~35%) lower than installing a custom solar system at a home. You have an ownership share in the project, which will produce credits on your Green Mountain Power bill every month the sun shines. And we don't sell the Renewable Energy Credits, as most "community solar"for profit projects do. We want to keep benefits of solar, not send a license to burn coal to another state.

Our Second project, Which was expected to be completed in late 2016, was interrupted by a regulatory change. The vermont public service board now requires 50% of community scale solar project electricity production to be used on the site it is produced. This change makes grassroots community solar projects, which rely on members from throughout the utility coverage area, ineligible for renewable production adders, and make most projects financially infeasible.

Work is underway to change these new state solar regulations to allow new grassroots community solar project in Vermont. stay tuned.

sign up for information to learn about our second project