Community Solar FAQ
The program was created to provide members with the ability to participate in solar without the ownership hassles. The program does not require members to place solar panels on their property, and instead gives Members an option to subscribe to shares in a utility-scale solar project.
Johnson Corner solar facility is located in southwest Kansas in Stanton County.
No. Prairie Land Electric Cooperative (Prairie Land or PLE) is a member-owner of Sunflower Electric Power Corporation (Sunflower) which supplies Prairie Land with wholesale power services. Prairie Land’s Residential Community Solar Program is a part of Sunflower’s renewable energy offerings administered on a retail level by Sunflower’s member cooperatives.
Residential members of Prairie Land can choose to subscribe to the program at a cost of $5/share per month. Community Solar subscriptions will be in addition to members’ regular monthly energy bills. One share is equivalent to 125 kWh (estimated output from 2 solar panels). For the duration of your participation in the Program, your monthly electric bill will reflect the performance of subscribed number of solar shares in the following manner:
- One line item will reflect a Community Solar Subscription cost equal $5/share times number of shares; and
- Another line item will contain Community Solar Credit.
Community Solar Credit is based on the amount of power generated by Johnson Corner solar facility and the market revenues from the power sold into the energy market for the month. As such, Community Solar Credit may vary significantly from month to month based on weather and other conditions. Accordingly, PLE makes no warranty regarding the amount of the Community Solar Credit, if any, a Member will receive in any billing period while participating in the Program.
- An alternative to owning and maintaining a solar energy system
- No upfront investment
- No damage to roof (for rooftop solar) and no land use (for ground solar)
- No maintenance costs
- Available to homeowners and renters alike
- If you rent or have homeowner agreements that prevent the installation of rooftop solar, or if your home is too shaded or your roof isn’t strong enough to support a solar array, community solar might be another option to participate in solar.
- Subscription transfers if Member moves within PLE’s territory
- If a subscriber moves to a new house within Prairie Land’s service territory, their subscription may be transferred to their new service.
- Easy way to support renewable energy
- Johnson Corner is a 20 MW solar facility which is about 2,000 times bigger than a typical residential rooftop solar installation. The utility-scale size of Johnson Corner has the advantage of economies of scale.
- The Johnson Corner solar facility also has tracking motors that adjust the angle of the solar panels throughout the day to maintain maximum exposure to the sun. This provides maximum utilization of solar irradiance with no impacts from shading from trees or adjacent buildings.
- No long-term commitment
Residential Members of Prairie Land, excluding Prepaid program participants and members on a payment arrangement or with an outstanding balance, are eligible to participate.
Participation in the Residential Community Solar Program will require the Member to maintain good standing with Prairie Land. Subscription will be terminated if:
- The Member is qualified to be disconnected for non-payment of electrical service, including non-payment of charges assessed under community solar agreement, or violation of other terms of PLE’s Rules and Regulations;
- The Member makes 3 or more late payments within a twelve-month period while holding a community solar subscription; or
- PLE receives two or more returned payments on the Member’s account for any reason; or
- The service is disconnected or terminated by the Member or PLE for any other reason.
Members that leave the program, either voluntarily or through disconnection, cannot subscribe to the program again for one year.
Your monthly Budget Billing amount will not be immediately affected. However, future re-calculations will be based on the average bill amounts including your Community Solar Subscription Fee and Credit. Members on Budget Billing are encouraged to monitor their recalculations.
Prairie Land members can subscribe on a first-come, first-served basis beginning August 1, 2024. Members having an interest in participating can sign up by calling PLE, completing, signing, and returning the Community Solar Share Agreement.
Yes. The maximum total number of shares (each consisting of 125 kWhs) available to an individual residential Member shall not exceed an equivalent of their previous 12-month average energy usage at their current residence. For example, if a Member’s 12-month average consumption is 1,200 kWh, the member can subscribe to no more than nine (9) shares.
There is a subscription fee of $5/share/month. One share is equivalent to 125 kWh. Community Solar subscriptions will be in addition to members’ regular monthly energy bills.
Once enrolled in Prairie Land’s Residential Community Solar program, you will be subscribed until you choose to terminate the subscription or become ineligible to participate (see Q6).
Members may lower or raise the number of shares subscribed up to two times within a 12-month period by requesting and signing an Amendment to Community Solar Share Agreement. Increases to number of subscriptions will be subject to share availability and maximum participation allotments as outlined in the agreement.
Shares are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. If Prairie Land’s available shares sell out, you have the option of being placed on a waiting list to be contacted if/when additional shares become available.
Yes, Member can terminate their subscription any time, to become effective at the end of the prior month, as long as PLE is informed prior to the last PLE business day of the month. Member will not have a subscription on the next statement if they terminate prior to the last day of the billing period. Once unsubscribed, you must wait one year before you can subscribe to the program again. Prairie Land cannot guarantee there will be shares available if you decide to rejoin the program.
Possibly, but savings are not guaranteed. Program participants will be paying an additional Community Solar Subscription fee and receiving the Community Solar Credit. Community Solar Credit is not guaranteed to offset the Solar Subscription fee each month.
Community Solar Credit is based on the revenues the Johnson Corner solar facility receives in the energy market. In the months when market prices are high, it is possible that the Community Solar Credit will be larger than Community Solar Subscription cost, thus producing net savings. However, the opposite may also be true, i.e. in the months when market prices are low, the Community Solar Credit may be less than Community Solar Subscription cost, thus causing participants to pay a premium.
As a point of reference, below is a 3-year historical cost/savings analysis (based on a single share enrolled for an entire year):
Members will still be billed for their full metered usage. Community Solar does not directly offset your energy use. Instead, you pay a subscription for each share and receive a credit each month based on the performance of the Johnson Corner solar facility.
For the duration of your participation in the Program, your monthly electric bill will have the two additional line items:
- Community Solar Subscription cost equal $5/share times number of shares; and
- Community Solar Credit based on the amount of power generated by Johnson Corner solar facility and the market revenues from the power sold into the energy market for the month.
Community Solar Credit represents $/kWh price received from the market for Johnson Corner Solar facility. It may vary significantly from month to month based on weather and other conditions. Accordingly, Cooperative makes no warranty regarding the amount of the Community Solar Credit, if any, a Member will receive in any billing period while participating in the Program.
Sunflower calculates the monthly Community Solar Credit (in $/kWh) by taking the total revenue Johnson Corner solar facility receives from selling solar into the energy market for the month, and then dividing it by the total electric output from the facility during the same month.
If you move to a new home/apartment within our service territory, your solar subscription is transferable to the new address. Your number of shares might change based on new address’ most recent 12-month average usage.
No, program participants do not own any solar panels. Member’s subscription under the Residential Community Solar Program provides no ownership or possessory interest in the Johnson Corner Solar Farm and does not grant Member any right of access to the Johnson Corner Solar Farm, the underlying real estate, or to any solar panel for any purpose.
Due to the way electricity is transmitted, the electricity generated from the solar facility goes directly to the regional electric grid. The energy delivered to your home is from various power generation resources. However, your participation in the community solar program allows you to support the production of solar energy in Kansas.