A new kind of community garden officially opened with a ribbon cutting today near Traverse City. It’s a solar energy garden funded by customers who lease solar panels from Cherryland Electric Cooperative.
The SUN Alliance, is the first of its kind in Michigan. Electric customers can buy a share in a solar project that’s installed and maintained by the company.
The co-op already has installed the first array of 80 panels on its property and 80 more customers are on a list waiting for panels to arrive for a second array.
Billy Johnson signed-up because it’s a way to participate in a type of renewable energy that can be expensive for one household.
“Someone who might not have the opportunity to put a full array on their house, it might cost 10- 15- or 20- thousand dollars, it’s a way to be a part of a community program and be involved with renewables at an affordable level,” Johnson says.
We’re doing the right thing and affordable thing with solar energy. And it’s simply as simple as that,” says Tony Anderson of Cherryland Electric.
A solar panel costs $470 dollars to lease for 25 years. The customer gets about a two dollar a month credit on their bill.
A single panel generates a little more than three percent of a typical household’s electricity. But Anderson expects there to be more demand for this type of energy.
“You can say it’s symbolic but it’s bricks and mortar,” he says. “I’ve got panels in the air and I got more coming. And we’re producing real electricity.”
Customers with Traverse City Light and Power also are eligible to participate.
