Community Solar
Overview
GEUS has partnered with SunGrid Power, a Texas-based solar developer, owner, and operator of solar facilities within Hunt County, Texas. SunGrid has operating sites south of Greenville, and its construction division builds solar facilities throughout the United States. SunGrid won a competitive solicitation RFP process to perform this work.
- This project will consist of 4 local community solar facilities located around Greenville.
- The addition of 10 MW—approximately 8%—to GEUS’ generation portfolio comes at a time of expected regional growth, helping support future energy demand.
- 100% of the electricity generated from these facilities will be injected into the GEUS distribution grid to benefit local residents. This is different from other solar facilities that sell to ERCOT and do not directly benefit the local community.
Finacial Impact
- Local investment into Greenville area will exceed $20M.
- No tax abatements. The proposed GEUS Community Solar Project adds two new properties to the tax roll, with all four sites expected to generate $175,000 to $200,000 annually in new taxes, resulting in over $4M in new tax revenue over the life of the project.
- Strong hedge against rising energy prices.
Community Benefits
- No additional burden on Police, Fire or City Utilities.
- Locally added solar lowers GEUS's transmission cost.
- Provide a hedge against expected increases in system costs in future years.
- Adds 8% more local electric generating capacity during a period of expected population growth.
- Further diversification of GEUS's power portfolio with reliable locally generated solar.
- Provides lower-cost electricity to GEUS customers. Strong hedge against rising energy prices.
- Expands access to clean, renewable energy to low-moderate income households.
- Creates new local job opportunities.
Environmental Responsible
- No noise
- No odor
- No toxins
- No glare – solar panels are designed to absorb sunlight, not reflect it.
- No battery storage.
- Minimal traffic following construction.
- FAA approved sites. No impacts to flight operation.
- The polycrystalline silicon solar panels do not contain cadmium telluride or other toxic metals commonly found in some thin-film panels.
- No risk of leaching into the surrounding area in the event of breakage. The primary material in the solar panel is silicon (naturally occurring element (sand) – atomic #14), which does not present any environmental hazard.
- In the event of a hail strike, and in the unlikely event that the tempered glass may crack, the integrity of the entire panel will remain unaltered. SunGrid uses the most hail-resistant solar panels available on the market. The panels are designed and warrantied to withstand a 2" hail ball with no damage to the solar panel.
- State law requires solar sites to maintain financial bonding to ensure proper cleanup and site restoration if a facility is ever abandoned.
Proposed Solar Locations
All proposed sites were selected because they are located at least one-quarter mile from residential structures and/or include natural tree screening to reduce visibility. The proposed locations are situated on land that is not likely to be developed due to constraints such as floodplains, rights-of-way, and existing utility pipelines.
We have placed pins on Google Maps for each location. We encourage the public to visit the sites for a better understanding, but warn that some roads are unpaved and may be muddy or difficult to access.
GEUS will make the meeting available to those who are unable to attend by livestreaming on GEUS’ Facebook and YouTube.