Colorado’s Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA) will build its first community solar array in part thanks to support of a $60,000 NEED (New Energy Economic Development) grant from the state of Colorado. The community solar array will allow DMEA electric customers in Delta and Montrose counties to purchase part of a proposed 10 kilowatt (kW) system and be refunded for energy produced by their portion of the system. DMEA plans to build the array at its Montrose headquarters.

DMEA is a rural electric co-op in Colorado, which means its customers are also its members. The co-op is still in planning stages for its community solar array plan, which includes plans to install another 10 kW community solar array at its Reed location, or possibly installing a 20 kW system in just one location, the Montrose Daily Press reported. DMEA’s Renewable Energy Engineer Jim Henegan told the newspaper, “We need to evaluate what makes sense economically.”

Customers are unable to install solar on their properties for a number of reasons, like the high up-front cost of solar, site location, a building’s structural integrity and more. Henegan told the newspaper, “It’s one more measure we can do to give members access to renewable energy.” The community solar array “is a new concept,” he said. “We wanted to give it a try and the grant funding helps take away that risk.”

DMEA has had the project on the table for a while, DMEA General Manager Dan McClendon told CEA. He added that what’s mainly helped them move forward with the project are grants, which he said now amount to more than $100,000.

The DMEA grant was announced by Gov. Bill Ritter (D) on Aug. 26 as part of $2.2 million in NEED grants covering 23 energy projects in Colorado, including Douglas County Schools, who are now installing solar at 30 locations. The grants were funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

According to DMEA’s September 2010 member newsletter “Members of the cooperative would be able to purchase a share of the array. In return, the participating members would receive a credit on their bills for the electricity their portion of the array produced.” While prices and portions are not yet set, the newspaper reported that DMEA is expecting to allow members to invest in less than 1 kW of the system.

Henegan said a 1 kW system should produce between $150 and $180 in annual electric savings.