Halfmoon is prepared to take a big step forward toward a renewable and sustainable energy future. A community solar panel field (solar farm) will be installed in Halfmoon later this year, and local New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) customers can buy into the project and receive solar energy!
In Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), he outlined a strategy to lead the state into a clean energy future. One of the strategy’s programs is the $1 billion initiative called the NY-Sun Program. The new solar field in Halfmoon is the program’s first project, and it is intended to further develop the state’s solar industry.
What is a solar farm exactly? Halfmoon’s solar farm will be a field of solar panels that NYSEG customers can buy into and then receive all the benefits of solar energy.
The plan is for Halfmoon to have a 1,700-panel, 582-kilowatt solar farm. According to Your Clifton Park, NYSEG customers will have the opportunity to purchase individual panels for “$965 or $1,180 with operation and maintenance costs up front.” Tim Braun, co-owner of the Clean Energy Collective (CEC), told Your Clifton Park that those who pay more up front will likely see a “greater tax benefit.”
In this project, it’s expected that customers will recoup their initial investment within 8-10 years. However, the solar farm is a long-term project, so the panels come with a 20 year warranty; they are expected to last for many years. Customers who buy panels will receive credit for the energy they produce. To find out more, you can use the CEC’s calculator to estimate your average savings.
The main incentives for customers to participate in the project are a lower electric bill and greater savings over time. Plus, your participation will help support Halfmoon’s mission to have local clean energy. To show their support for the community project, the Clean Energy Collective and the local Affordable Housing Partnership will provide five low-income families with 10 of the 1,700 solar panels for the next 20 years.
This month, The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the New York State Department of Public Service, Entersolar, and the CEC began work on the solar farm project. The solar farm is located at 205 Cary Road, and the groups plan for it to be operational by August of this year.
Do you plan to buy into Halfmoon’s new solar farm? Or, would you be interested in a community solar farm in your area?
Sources:
- Your Clifton Park – Roofless solar to provide Capital Region homes with cheaper, greener energy
- Saratogian – Officials break ground on state’s first shared renewable solar project
- Clean Technica – Shared Renewables Community Solar Project Slated In Halfmoon, New York
