By Greg Brooks | More sun power is on the way! Walton Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) has begun construction of its second cooperative solar project.
Brooks
CEO Ronnie Lee says: “Our customer-owners quickly snapped up the first 750 solar blocks when they became available last June. They were gone in just a few days. Customer-owners continue to call. The demand is phenomenal. We already have a waiting list long enough to sell out 80 percent of the next project. That’s why we’re on the fast track to build more.”
Lee urged customer-owners desiring cooperative solar to put their name on the waiting list now. Those interested should call Walton EMC at 770-267-2505.
Walton EMC’s first project consists of a one-megawatt solar electricity generation site in northeastern Walton County. The six-acre facility uses 4,280 individual solar panels and is expected to produce approximately 2 million kilowatt-hours of solar electricity per year.
The second 2.5-megawatt project is sited four miles south of Monroe in Walton County. Around 10,700 panels will occupy 15 acres and generate 5 million kilowatt-hours of solar electricity per year.
Only customer-owners who have residences connected to Walton EMC’s electric grid are eligible to participate in the cooperative solar projects.
Blocks of solar electricity are $25 each per month. Each block is expected to produce between 180 and 260 kilowatt-hours per month, depending on the sun’s angle, the time of year, the number of cloudy days in the month and other factors.
Kilowatt-hours produced by the solar electricity units will offset the same number of kilowatt-hours on each participating customer-owner’s monthly bill. Each customer-owner may purchase up to two blocks. Requests for more than two blocks will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Walton’s cooperative solar project allows access to consumers who might otherwise be excluded from owning and installing their own solar electricity generation. Obstacles like upfront cost, improper roof orientation, excessive roof shading, restrictive subdivision covenants or landlord prohibitions are frequent barriers to homeowners and renters who want to install solar systems.
Walton EMC is a customer-owned power company that serves 124,000 accounts over its 10-county service area between Atlanta and Athens.
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