Prairie Sun Community Solar

Do you like the idea of using solar panels for energy but aren’t interested in putting them on your home? Participate in Cass County Electric Cooperative’s (CCEC) Prairie Sun Community Solar project to receive the benefits of a solar panel without the installation or maintenance. Community solar is an affordable, low-risk way for members to benefit from solar energy without the hassles of designing, permitting, installing, maintaining, and insuring your own photovoltaic solar array.

Prairie Sun Community Solar is a 102-kW solar array CCEC established in 2016, in Fargo, North Dakota. It consists of 324 solar panels owned by CCEC. These panels are available to lease by CCEC members.

Energy from the array is distributed back to the electrical grid by CCEC distribution lines. The panel lease is paid for up front, and the energy credit produced by the panel is reflected on a member’s monthly bill. The upfront cost of a panel is on a sliding scale based on the project’s anticipated expiration date. Members generally see a credit of around $35 a year. Monthly credits are calculated based on the current electric rate and the array’s production; this means that if electric rates increase, so will the monthly credit. For current pricing, contact CCEC.

Prairie Sun Community Solar benefits you and the environment by reducing overall fossil-fuel consumption. Since the installation of the panels in 2016, they have produced over 1.2 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity. That’s enough energy to operate 9,136 computers for one year. It has also created a carbon offset of 1,628 metric tons. The Prairie Sun Community Solar program is just one of many ways CCEC is dedicated to providing energy options to its members.