SMUD to Offer Solar Power for All with “Virtual” PV System.

April 19, 2008 – Vol.13 No.4

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) to Offer Solar Power for All with “Virtual” PV System.

The California utility has awarded a contract with enXco to build a one-megawatt solar panel array for its SolarShares program. In the pilot program SMUD will buy the power from the array then sell it to interested customers. This means any SMUD customer can now be a solar energy owner regardless of where they live and without committing thousands of dollars to buy their own solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. This includes renters and occupants of multiunit buildings.

The program is the first of its kind in California as well as the largest of its type in the nation. It provides all SMUD customers affordable options to purchase solar power. For less than $5 per month and up to about $30 per month, most customers can ensure that at least 10 percent and up to 50 percent of their energy comes from the new SMUD “solar farm.” Actual price and percentage of consumption will depend on the customer’s annual energy use and the size of the “virtual” PV system they select. Customers will subscribe at a fixed, SMUD-subsidized price in increments that match or complement their lifestyle, energy use, and support for solar energy. Customers could even take their solar power with them if they move within SMUD service territory.

The solar farm will be located on property near the town of Wilton in southern Sacramento County. Construction begins soon and the array is expected to begin delivering clean, renewable solar power in July.

As a private entity, enXco, can take advantage of federal tax incentives to reduce installation costs, SMUD also benefits as the utility can buy solar power at a lower price and pass the savings on to its customers. SMUD also has the option of working with enXco to expand capacity as the SolarShares programs grows.

SMUD also expects SolarShares to become a program other utilities want to emulate because it will broaden and transform the market for solar by taking advantage of economies of scale to lower the upfront cost of PV.

SMUD as the nation’s sixth-largest publicly owned utility, has been providing low-cost, reliable electricity for over 60 years to Sacramento County California.

enXco develops, builds, operates and manages state-of-the-art renewable energy projects throughout North America. (4/18/08)

Links:

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)
http://www.smud.org

enXco
http://enxco.com

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Disclaimer, Forward-Looking or Safe Harbor Statement on original press release: No