This commentary is by Richard Butz of Bristol.
Aside from the obvious environmental and job benefits, community solar, properly structured, can offer significant benefits for low- and middle-income participants.
Community solar provides the opportunity to benefit from clean, sustainable power that is not subject to global price pressures that affect fossil fuels and electricity that is provided by the grid. It also impacts public buy-in. Unlike large-scale projects where NIMBY opposition often occurs, community solar’s direct benefit to the local population is more easily felt. In Bristol, our community solar project, located on a preferred site, drew no opposition whatsoever.
But not everyone can install solar panels. Many types of residences aren’t properly oriented, are in poor repair or have too much tree cover. Apartments, condominiums, and the many trailer parks across the state also don’t easily support solar infrastructure.
Community solar can be a solution if there is the right funding process.
A barrier to participation in community solar for low- and middle-income folks is that they generally do not have the upfront capacity to buy in. In Bristol, we are unaware of any lower-income residents or renters that have participated because the numbers simply didn’t work out for them; 6% financing is just too steep to allow for a reasonable payout period.
So what to do?
If cost prevents low- and middle-income folks from participating, then the solution could be the establishment of a zero-interest loan fund with a payout period that would allow those folks to buy in, and see immediate reductions in their monthly bill.
How could such a fund be set up? With all the federal money coming into the state, why not use some of that money to set up regional zero-interest loan banks, administered by the Regional Planning Commissions? Once established, these banks would distribute funds that would recharge over time, creating a never-ending stream of funding as loans are repaid.
Renters could have a guaranteed buyback if they move out of the area served by the power company where they bought in. Otherwise, if they move within the same region they could take their accounts with them.
Such a program, coupled with weatherization and the installation of heat pumps, could dramatically reduce fossil fuel use in Vermont and result in more comfortable and affordable living for its residents. We already have programs to incentivize weatherization and heat pumps. Could a zero-interest loan fund for community solar complete the picture?
Read the story on VTDigger here: Richard Butz: A zero-interest loan fund could help fund community solar.