Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association to build solar garden

Members of the Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association will have the opportunity to buy solar panels from the cooperative to offset their electric use.

The electric distribution cooperative said in a statement Wednesday that it has joined Clean Energy Collective in Carbondale to build a community solar garden at its headquarters near Windsor.

Members can buy one of more than 400 solar panels generating 115,000 watts of electricity. Clean Energy Collective will fund the project’s construction this spring.

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Once completed, members can buy panels and receive monthly bill credits for power generated by their panels.

The project could expand to as many as two megawatts as new members join, the cooperative said.

“We are committed to economically incorporating renewable energy initiatives and seeking ways for our consumers to benefit from a more diverse energy portfolio,” CEO Brad Gaskill said in the statement.

The solar garden concept allows all consumers to participate in renewable energy, including renters, those with poorly sighted properties and those of all income levels, without having to build a costly system of their own, according to the cooperative.