The community solar gardens talk I gave in Oakland on September 14 - my presentation for Santa Monica on October 20 should be quite similar.

1. Joy Hughes – Solar Gardens Institute

2. What is a
Solar
Garden?
 Utility-tied shared solar photovoltaic (PV)
 Local Subscriber Base - each owns or leases their own solar
panels
 Suitable for HOA’s, renters, affordable housing, shaded
locations, and historic districts
 Prevents cost shifting from wealthy to poor

3. Solar Gardens Legislation
Laws already in
Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine
and Washington
Colorado law signed June
5, 2010 – implementation
underway
California SB843 in committee
Vote Solar coordinating legislative
efforts - 50 state strategy

4. California/
Colorado
Compariso
n
Colorado California
Maximum Size 2 Megawatts (20 acres) 20 Megawatts (200 acres)
Minimum Subscription 1 kilowatt (low income exempt) 1 kilowatt
Maximum Subscription 40% of capacitty 2 Megawatts
Low income requirement 5% of capacity None
Program Maximum 6 Megawatts per year for None
first three years
Subscriber may purchase capacity capacity or power
Utility must purchase? mandatory optional

5. Why Distributed Solar?
Make it a
community
decision

6. Sprouting up Everywhere
Maps showing community solar interest

7. Ellensburg Community
Renewable Park - Washington
State
 Owned by municipal utility,
subscribers lease panels
 Conceived in 2003, first
phase built 2006
 Now on fourth phase,
expanding to over 100
kilowatts
 Expanding to include wind,
Solar Stirling Engines

8. Model for Smaller Arrays:
University Park, Maryland LLC
 Legal documents available
FREE
 Limited to 35 members –
no advertising
 Good for
churches, HOAs, neighbor
hood associations
 Can be used to power
common buildings or as a

9. Washington and Colorado Cooperative
Subscriber Organizations
 Small investors provide “sponsorship” for
subscribers in any solar garden (including
Clean Energy Collective and others)
 Might be used as subscriber organization - third
party finance needed ( C3PO ) for tax purposes
 Broad securities exemption under Colorado law

10. Saguache Solar Garden – 200 kW
A private / public partnership with the Town of Saguache
on a former dump site. Subscribers include town
buildings, library district, low income.
Charles Tidd,
Solar Gardener

11. Arvada Solar Garden – 500 kW
A privately owned former mine site, divided into parcels of
approx. 1 acre. SPH is issuing a Solicitation of Interest for
at least four solar gardens on the site.
Rachel Emmer,
Solar Gardener

12. SGI’s Mission
 To educate the public about community solar
energy.
 To promote community solar energy legislation at
the federal level and in each state
 To assist local organizations in organizing,
developing, and managing community-owned
solar energy projects everywhere.
 To make affordable solar energy available for all
humanity

13. Solar
Gardener
Program
Original Gardener Gary Nystedt –
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park
 A solar gardener is a grassroots community
organizer and project manager
 Receive training, tools, mutual aid
 Participate in Governance
 “Sweat Equity” – paid in panels

14. Thank you!

15. Contact Us
solargardens.org
Joy Hughes – founder – joy@solargardens.org
Robyn Lydick – Media Relations –
robyn@solargardens.org
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