Project Name: Community Solar for the Southeast
Funding Opportunity: Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies 2 – State Energy Strategies (SEEDS2-SES)
SunShot Subprogram: Soft Costs
Location: Raleigh, NC
SunShot Award Amount: $1,000,000
Awardee Cost Share: $257,250

This project makes solar more affordable and accessible through shared solar projects developed by cooperative and municipal utilities across the Southeast. The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) leads a stakeholder process with rural cooperative and municipal electric utilities, which can influence many states within the Southeast region. The project is expected to result in a dramatic increase of shared and community solar projects in the Southeast.

APPROACH

The project team will convene multiple solar and utility stakeholders to determine solutions needed to increase development of community solar projects in the Southeast. Technical assistance will be provided to cooperative and municipal utilities across the Southeast to help them analyze, design, and implement community solar projects.

INNOVATION

This project will result in an additional 200 megawatts or more of community solar projects in the Southeast, a notable increase from the less than 1 megawatt that currently exists. The Guide to Designing and Implementing Community Solar Projects at Public Power Utilities in the Southeast will also be published as a result of this project, which will provide a framework for all utilities in the region that are not touched by this project to also increase shared and community solar projects.