22ACoastal Electric CooperativeNovember 2010

MEMBER NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2010

nergy efficiency isn’t a newconcept for electric co-ops.

Nationally, we’re known as leadersin helping our Members bettermanage their electric use.

Coastal Electric Cooperative isno exception. We perform freehome energy audits, and then offerHome Plus zero-interest loans tohelp you implement the auditrecommendations. We also offer anonline Usage Monitor, where youcan log in and see your dailyelectricity usage. You can evenreceive e-mail alerts when youexceed your preset budget limit.

Most of our fellow co-opsprovide similar services. Surveys bythe National Rural Electric Cooper-ative Association, our nationalservice organization, found that 93percent of electric co-ops educatethose they serve about energyefficiency, through publicationssuch as the one you’re reading rightnow to bill inserts to TV ads. Nearly80 percent perform residentialenergy audits, which identify waysMembers can boost the energyefficiency of their home to keepelectric bills affordable.

Investing in energy efficiencyalso includes what we do here at

Coastal Electric Cooperative. We’rereplacing our old, inefficientcommercial heat pumps andinstalling motion sensors on officelighting so lights go off when thelast person leaves a room. Our newSmart Meters are saving the Co-opthousands of miles by not having tosend meter readers to your homeeach month.

We’re not alone in these invest-

E

The business of energy efficiency

BY F. WHIT HOLLOWELL JR./CEO

F. Whit Hollowell Jr.

ments, either. Co-ops across thecountry are upgrading power lines, replacing transformers andinstalling advanced metering infra-structure to increase efficiency oftheir operations.

Of course, when it comes toefficiency, much more can bedone. According to a study by theElectric Power Research Institute,Americans could save 236 billionkilowatt-hours by 2030 if utilitieseverywhere adopted simple energy-efficiency initiatives. That’s fivetimes the amount of electricity New York City uses in one year.

It’s easy for you to get startedon the path to energy efficiency.Call or visit us at www.CoastalElectric.Coop to learn more aboutour energy efficiency programs and services. You can also visitwww.togetherwesave.com anddiscover how making little changesaround your house can result inbig savings on your energy bills.

Helping you keep electric billsaffordable is just another way thoseof us at Coastal Electric Cooper-ative are looking out for you.

‘Helping you keep

electric bills affordable is

just another way those

of us at Coastal Electric

Cooperative are looking

out for you.’

GEORGIA MAGAZINECoastal Electric Cooperative22B www.CoastalElectric.coop

Renewable energy: Available NOWfrom Coastal Electric Renewables

BY J. MARK BOLTON

oastal Electric Cooperative Mem -bers interested in harvesting the

sun’s energy are now able to partic-ipate in a unique program.

The project is a 2,000-watt pole-mounted solar array located atCoastal Electric headquarters.Members can lease individual solarpanels for a 25-year period andreceive credit on their monthlyelectric bill for all the powergenerated by their panel.

“Our Cooperative Solar Farmproject is a part of our commitmentto an environmentally friendly futurethat will become a visible represen-tation of the power of peoplecoming together in a commoncause,” says CEO Whit Hollowell.

“Our Members have told us theywant their Co-op to offer a renew-able energy choice. This initial solarproject is a way for us to start small and measure our Members’acceptance. If these panels leasequickly, we’ll move to the secondphase of the project, with more solarpanels of greater capacity,” he says.

A major advantage of theprogram is that Coastal Electric will maintain the Solar Farm. TheMember pays only for the cost of

C

the panel, which is a $1,295 invest-ment per 230-watt panel. It is antici-pated one panel will produce abouta 3 percent return on the Member’sinvestment, or approximately $41 peryear in electricity credits.

The concept of an electriccooperative leasing solar panels toMembers is unique. I know of onlyone other Co-op out of nearly 900nationwide that is offering this choice.

What’s unique about the projectis that the solar panels remain onCoastal Electric property. They arenot installed on the Member’s home.This is good, for a number ofreasons.

First, the electric Co-op remainscompletely responsible for securityand maintenance of the solar panels.If they are damaged by lightning orwind, the Co-op must restore them toservice, just as we would ordinarilyrestore power after an outage.

Second, most homes are notideally situated for capturing maxi-mum solar radiation. There are shadetrees near the roof, and quite oftenthe roof is not oriented at theoptimum direction or slope to gainmaximum efficiency from the panels.

In covenant-protected neighbor-hoods, large pole-mounted solararrays would probably be deemed in violation of landscape covenants.Just imagine driving down your street and seeing these large, pole-mounted solar arrays at every third or fourth house.

And finally, to install a system atyour home could cost tens ofthousands of dollars. In addition tothe solar panels and the grid-tiepower inverter, there are thefoundation, concrete work andelectrical connections to your home,which must all be paid for at once.

But with our Cooperative SolarFarm, you can buy into renewableenergy a little bit at a time. Just leaseone panel initially, and then addmore capacity when you’re ready.

Coastal Electric assumes all thecost for construction, maintenance,insurance and permitting. If youmove to a different location withinCoastal Electric’s service territory,you still receive the benefits of yoursolar panels. With the initial costsspread among many participants, it’s easier for people at all incomelevels to participate in solar energyoptions. The program is self-sustain-ing and perpetuated only by theMembers interested in investing insolar technology.

Frequently asked questionsabout the Coastal ElectricRenewables CooperativeSolar Farm

How much does it cost? You can become a partner in

Coastal Electric Renewables for aslittle as $1,295—the cost to leaseone 230-watt panel for 25 years.Customers are limited to just onepanel in the initial module of theproject, but will be able to sign upfor as many as they wish once theinitial module of panels has beenfully reserved.

J. Mark BoltonVice President,Communications,Marketing andEconomic Development

November 2010 22CCoastal Electric Cooperative

Will one panel cover my whole electric bill?

One 230-watt solar panel pro -duces approximately 25 to 30 kilo -watt-hours per month. The averageresidential customer uses an averageof 1,500 kilowatt-hours per month. Inorder to cover all of your electricusage, you would need to invest inabout 40 solar panels, depending, ofcourse, on the size of your home andhow much electricity you actually use.

One benefit to becoming a part-ner in Coastal Electric Renewables isthat you don’t have to come up withthe entire investment upfront to cover 40 panels. You could set a goal to cover only a portion of yourelectricity needs with solar energyover the next five years and invest ina few panels each year as yourbudget allows.

The best way to reduce thenumber of panels you would need tocover your electric bill is to useenergy as efficiently as possible. Lookinto our energy-saving tips that willhelp you lower your current electricbill. After all, the cheapest, mostenvironmentally friendly energy is the energy we never use!

Will my meter spin backward?Because the panels will be in -

stalled on Coastal Electric’s property,your meter will not spin backward.You will be billed for your normalelectric usage, and then receive acredit on your monthly statement forthe energy generated by your panelsfrom the previous month.

How long will it take to pay back myinvestment in the Coastal ElectricRenewables Cooperative Solar Farm?

It is anticipated that one 230-wattpanel will produce about a 3 percentreturn on its investment, or approxi-mately $40 per year in electricitycredits. Since the Solar Farm will bebuilt to maximize electric production,it is assumed that this panel wouldproduce at least as much, if notmore, than a similar panel located on a customer’s home.

Solar seems expensive and doesn’tappear to have a very good payback. I thought the energy from the sun was free.

The energy from the sun is free,but the cost of equipment used toconvert that free energy into usableelectric energy is still very expensive.While the cost of solar equipmenthas come down over the past 10years, it still represents one of themost expen sive ways to produceelectricity.

If a quicker return is important toyou, we suggest looking into a num-ber of energy-efficiency measures that have a more immediate paybackand effectively reduce your overallenergy use. Generating renewableenergy and using energy moreefficiently are both excellent ways to help protect the environment.

Investing in solar energy is a great next step for customers whohave already implemented a number

of energy-efficiency measures. Plus,when you use less energy, yourrenewable investment goes a lotfurther.

Will I save by signing up for a panelon the Solar Farm versus installing itat my home?

Typically, a totally installedsolar system on a home costsaround $8/watt before any rebatesor tax credits. Coastal ElectricMembers can lease a panel on theSolar Farm for about $5/watt, or a37 percent reduction from a home-installed system.

Are there any additional benefits toleasing a panel on the Solar Farmversus installing it on my house?

There are a number of itemsthat the Coastal Electric RenewablesCooperative Solar Farm can offerthat can’t be duplicated with atraditional solar installation.

There are no insurance, mainte-nance or installation issues. Justsign up for a panel and CoastalElectric Renewables handles therest. You get the benefit of theelectricity produced by the paneljust like it was on your home.

You can transfer these credits toa new location or sell them toanother person.

Today, only homeowners withContinued on page 22D

Program details• 25-year lease contract • $1,295 investment per 230-watt panel • Panels are located on Coastal Electric’s property • Receive a credit on your electric bill for the energy generated by your panel(s) • Monitor the farm’s production at any time by going to www.CoastalElectric.coop

(coming soon)

The program is ideal for:• Customers whose homes are not properly sited for solar installations • For those who rent their homes or office spaces• Anyone who would like to purchase solar panels but can’t afford the large

investment to install on-site

Official Publication of Coastal Electric Cooperative, PublishedMonthly for All Members

J. Mark Bolton, EditorCoastal Electric Cooperative1265 S. Coastal Highway

P.O. Box 109Midway, GA 31320

(912) 880-2268, direct linemark.bolton@coastalemc.com

Find us online:CoastalElectric.coop

Business office hoursOpen 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondaythrough Thursday, and until 5 p.m.on Friday, except for holidays.

Report outagesCall us at (800) 421-2343

Board of DirectorsSteve Mullice

President, Liberty County

Jack WatersVice President, Liberty County

Barbara DavisSec./Treas., McIntosh County

W.L. BlandMcIntosh County

James EstesBryan County

Johnny KearnsMcIntosh County

Ken LukeBryan County

Eric HartleyBryan County

John Woods IIILiberty County

Coastal Electric Cooperative, yourTouchstone Energy® Partner, is anot-for-profit, member-ownedpower cooperative providing

electricity to the people of Bryan,Liberty, Long and McIntosh

counties.

22D GEORGIA MAGAZINECoastal Electric Cooperativewww.CoastalElectric.coop

Renewable energy,Continued from page 22C

proper solar orientation and noshading issues can take advantage ofa traditional solar installation. TheSolar Farm allows anyone within ourservice territory to participate inrenewable energy, including renters or homeowners with poor solar orientation.

This program is a grow-as-you-gotype of program. Many people don’thave the $50,000 to $75,000 topurchase a total system for theirhome. Coastal Electric Renewablesallows you to sign up for panels asyou have the money to invest. Onaverage, it requires 40 panels to offset100 percent of the electric usage atyour home. Your family could decideto sign up for additional panels asyour budget allows and set a goal toachieve a complete offset of yourutility bill within the next five years.

Can I still put solar panels on myhouse if I become a Partner in CoastalElectric Renewables?

You can do both. Coastal ElectricRenewables simply offers customersanother option. Customers who rentor whose homes don’t have propersolar orientation or shading issues cannow support renewable generationthrough our Cooperative Solar Farm.Customers who want to install solarequipment directly on their homescan still do so, based on the net-metering requirements and state andfederal tax credits.

What if I move? Can I take my panelswith me?

When you become a Member ofour Cooperative Solar Farm, you willreceive the energy credits from yoursolar panels—no matter where youlive within Coastal Electric’s serviceterritory.

The electric production from yourleased panel(s) must be tied to aspecific location within CoastalElectric’s service territory, so if you

move outside the service territory, youmust transfer your panels to anotherCoastal Electric customer. This can bedone by leaving the solar credits atthe current location, transferring themto a new location or donating theenergy from the panel to anothercustomer or organization. CoastalElectric will not buy panels back from participants.

When you move, you cannot takeyour actual panels with you since youtechnically lease the output of thepanels and don’t purchase the actualpanel. Individual solar panels installedin the Coastal Electric RenewablesCooperative Solar Farm are an integralpart of the entire system and cannotbe removed.

How can I monitor the output of mypanels?

Use the Coastal Electric Renew-ables Cooperative Solar Farm liveonline feature to monitor the pro -duction of your actual panels at anytime via the Internet. (Coming soon.)

How do I sign up?You may download a contract

from our website. Full payment and asigned contract are required toreserve your panels. For additionalinformation, please contact J. MarkBolton at (912) 880-2226, or e-mailmark.bolton@coastalemc.com.