The Quad Cities Solar Corp launched on March 15th and quickly surpassed its membership goal of 50 residents. The Solar Cooperative, an organization formed to help residents build solar power, just announced a new goal of 100 members.

A solar power cooperative organized by a non-profit organization Solar United Neighbors (SUN)is free to attend and open to homeowners and small business owners in the Quad Cities area. This includes residents of Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Dewey Humboldt and surrounding areas.

On Wednesday, March 22, SUN Arizona Program Director Adrian Keller and local partners hosted Solar 101 at the Prescott Public Library to talk to residents about solar power and explain how co-ops work. The event was attended by more than 60 residents from all over Yavapai County.

Adrian Keller, Arizona Program Director, Solar United Neighbors, said, “It’s great to see so much immediate interest from the community in local solar power. That’s it,’ he said. “We know the process and considerations can be complicated, so it was great to see so many people come to the event and have their questions answered.”

Co-op members work together to learn about solar energy and leverage their numbers to purchase individual photovoltaic systems at competitive prices and top quality. Solar United Neighbors operates solar cooperatives with 50 to 200 members across the state, but this is the first cooperative to serve residents of the Quad Cities area.

Initial interest was so strong that SUN has already Request for proposal (RFP) Enable solar installers to bid for cooperatives. After collecting bids, SUN will facilitate a meeting for co-op members to select a single solar power company to serve the group. Members are not obligated to purchase solar power. Instead, you will be given the option to purchase the panels individually based on the selected installer’s group rate. SUN maintains vendor neutrality throughout the selection process.

When the Inflation Relief Act (IRA) is passed by the federal government in 2022, co-op members will also be able to take advantage of the solar tax credit for residential solar. The residential solar tax credit allows homeowners to save 30% on the full price of their solar installations. A similar tax credit is also available for small businesses invited to join the co-op.

Photovoltaic cooperatives also help participants consider battery storage. Combined with solar power, the batteries will help strengthen the grid during extreme weather events like last summer’s monsoon. Thanks to the IRA, homeowners can get a 30% tax credit on their batteries for the next 10 years. The new law also makes it possible to get tax credits for stand-alone storage that doesn’t require solar power.

Solar Co-op partners include: Yavapai Climate Change Coalition, Northern Arizona Climate Change Alliance, Sierra Club Yavapai Group, Interfaith Climate Action Team.

Since 2019, SUN has hosted 13 solar cooperatives in Arizona. The group estimates that the 383 homes and businesses that currently have solar panels installed thanks to the cooperatives are equivalent to 3,070 kW of solar power generation, $9 million in local solar power spending, and more. . Over £89m Lifetime carbon offsets.

Those interested in solar power can find out more and register with the co-op at the following URL: Solarunitedneighbors.org/quadcities.

About Solar United Neighbors

Solar United Neighbors is a non-profit organization that represents the needs and interests of solar owners and backers in Arizona and throughout the country. The photovoltaic cooperative is part of the organization’s mission to build a new energy system based on rooftop solar power. Solar United Neighbors hosts events and educational programs to help people become informed solar consumers, maximize the value of their solar investment, and advocate for fair solar policies. increase.

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