If you are a customer of Clallam PUD, and want to buy some solar electricity, but can’t install solar on your own house, you should look into their newly announced Community Solar project. You should probably sign up sooner rather than later because I anticipate this project will be fully subscribed very quickly. This project will be a 30 KW ground-mounted installation in downtown Sequim.
The PUD is offering shares equivalent to 15 watts of solar capacity each for about $60. Individal PUD customers can buy up to 125 shares. The project has a guaranteed 25 year life. The project will be installed by the end of the year, the details as to the equipment or any installation contractor have not been determined. The details are on their website here: https://www.clallampud.net/communitysolar/
At $4 per watt, the shares are roughly equivalent to the price for our roof mounted pv projects, so if you own a home and could afford to do at least a 5 KW system, you should consider installing on your own house rather than participating in this program. However the Community Solar project is ideal if you can not put solar on your own home, or if you have already filled your own roof with solar panels and are not yet making 100% of your own clean energy.
17 KW Community Solar Array, Jefferson Intl Airport, Port Townsend, 2011