In 1963, I first learned about locally generated power. I was working on my junior high science project on solar power in Evanston, Ill. My pen pal, George Mathews, a Georgia peanut and cotton farmer, told me how excited he was when he made the first solar-powered phone call on Oct. 4, 1955 — and how rural customers who were far removed from other power sources would have better service.
Jump ahead to 2006, when as a Boulder city council member, I voted for the city’s original Climate Action Plan. It stated that a sustainable energy future in Boulder includes “renewable energy and distributed generation to hedge against energy price volatility and electric and natural gas distribution vulnerabilities.”
On a sunny day in 2010, on the top of Boulder’s 15th and Pearl parking garage, Gov. Bill Ritter signed bill HB10-1342: The Community Solar Gardens Act, championed by Boulder state legislators and now a model for several states. Solar gardens (community solar) are a form of distributed generation: a solar array with multiple subscribers who may purchase portions of the power produced and receive credits on their electric bills. Colorado became the first state in the nation to create legislation around solar gardens. The unique location of the bill signing was chosen because the tops of downtown parking garages and buildings were the kinds of places Boulder had in mind for its future solar gardens.
Eight years later, where are they? Where are Boulder’s solar gardens?
According to the State of Colorado website, Colorado leads the nation, with approximately 53 community solar projects in operation, generating 30 megawatts, with many more in development. None of these are in Boulder. A National Renewable Energy Laboratory report finds that 49 percent of households and 48 percent of businesses are unable to host photovoltaic solar systems on their rooftops, because they rent their spaces or lack suitable owned roof space. Keep in mind that more than 50 percent of Boulder’s housing is rental and this presents a challenge for smaller array rooftop solar. Solar gardens make a clean energy option available to more people.
It is time to get with the program and have solar gardens, as other places do.
Local distributed generation means creating electrons here in Boulder. Right now, the only real alternatives to solar panels on your rooftop are Xcel Energy’s Windsource and Renewable Connect programs. The electrons from these programs are generated and used in other parts of Colorado.
There are all kinds of opportunities to create solar gardens in Boulder — and partners like the city of Boulder, Boulder Valley School District, and many private companies with land and resiliency strategies (look at IBM’s solar array). There is vacant land that is not our open space that the city would like to remain vacant — land that we hope to deploy for future uses. A 25-year contract for solar generation could help that happen. Economically, it all makes sense.
What if every new building in Boulder (with a few exceptions) was required to have a PUC/Xcel-allowed photovoltaic system sized to 120 percent of its estimated energy use — or to participate (as regulations allow) in a solar garden? Total annual carbon free energy production resulting from the solar roofs and gardens could quickly reach or exceed hundreds of megawatts of installed capacity. NREL has told Boulder that this gets us to a resilient, distributed energy future.
Today, 62 years after that first solar-powered phone call, the most progressive voices in decarbonization see solar gardens as a key piece. Along with creative mobility options, solar gardens can also help us wean ourselves off natural gas for space heating. Even better, solar gardens support the city of Boulder’s environmental goals, whether or not we create a municipal utility. Either Xcel Energy or the city of Boulder can serve as the required “qualifying retail utility” and achieve the same goal.
I believe that solar gardens, along with electric mobility and moving from natural gas to electric heating, could work together to act like Boulder’s “Carbon Eraser.” It is time for Boulder to lead Colorado as it moves into a future with less carbon. We have explored many energy ventures. We should implement this one. Unless we include solar gardens in our portfolio, it will not be possible to economically reach our community environmental and resiliency goals.
Let’s power the things that we do with less carbon. Let’s sow the seeds for our solar gardens.