You may have heard of community gardens, but have you heard of ones that provide leasable solar panels? ☀️

Berkeley Electric Cooperative – South Carolina’s largest, not-for-profit electric co-op – held a dedication ceremony on Friday for its first community solar garden located at its Strawberry Substation in Moncks Corner.

Over the last decade, solar energy has become an increasingly popular eco-friendly power source. As of 2020, the U.S. has 88.9 gigawatts (GW) of total installed solar PV capacity – which is enough to power 16.4 million homes.

The idea of leasable solar panels, which was first seen in Sacramento’s Solar Shares Program in 2007, allows community members to utilize solar energy while avoiding installation hassle, maintenance or HOA regulations that come with installing them on their own property. These types of programs are especially appealing to those who want eco-friendly energy but live in rented or communal homes.

So, how do they work?

In short, energy is produced via solar panels which is then transferred to the homes of those leasing a panel (or two... or ten).

Homeowners + renters are able to decide how many panels are suited for their individual needs and can lease them for a certain amount of time, depending on the provider. During this time, credit is applied to customers’ energy bills that reflects the amount of money saved through the use of solar energy. 💰

At the Berkeley Electric Cooperative plant, energy will be produced via 396 solar panels. Those serviced by the co-op are able to lease multiple “blocks” of five panels for eight years, while receiving 15 years’ worth of solar energy benefits.

The co-op’s solar farm is part of a two-part project, which will eventually extend to Awendaw. In total, 200 blocks (1,000 panels) will be available for lease between the two plants.

Want to learn more about how solar energy works, its environmental impact + more? Click here.

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