WADESBORO — Pee Dee Electric has announced plans to install a 100-kilowatt community solar farm adjacent to their corporate headquarters in Wadesboro. The community solar farm will have 360 individual panels which will produce approximately 150,000 kWhs of electricity annually.
The company made the announcement at last week’s annual meeting at Cole Auditorium in Hamlet.
Members of Pee Dee Electric will have the opportunity to purchase individual panels and then sell the power produced by the panels back to the cooperative each month. Participants of the project will receive a credit on their electric bill for their pro rata share of the output of the solar farm. In addition, Pee Dee Electric will maintain the panels and insurance requirements for the solar farm, eliminating a costly burden for the member.
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“Pee Dee Electric’s Community Solar Farm offers several advantages to our members,” said Donnie Spivey, ceo of Pee Dee Electric. “By grouping solar panels together in solar farm, members will benefit from economies of scale that is often times not attainable when panels are installed individually. The Community Solar Farm approach eliminates certain barriers that prevent individuals from installing solar at their homes, such as tree shading, roof size and weight restrictions, availability of land, or not owning the home where you reside.”
Pee Dee Electric, in conjunction with electric cooperatives across the nation, have long advocated for a balanced approach to electric power generation that encompasses electricity generated from nuclear, clean coal, natural gas and renewable resources. Pee Dee Electric’s Community Solar Farm supports this type of ‘All of the Above’ strategy by promoting the use of a renewable resource — solar power.
Clearing and grading of the land has begun and site preparation is underway. Construction of the solar farm will begin in mid-November to early December, with a targeted completion date for the end of 2014. Details of the project, such as cost of the panels, contract terms, etc. are still being finalized. Members of Pee Dee Electric who are interested in learning more about the Community Solar Farm are asked to contact Todd Moore at 704-694-7607, or can email their questions and interest to solar@pdemc.com.
Pee Dee Electric is a not-for-profit cooperative whose goal is to provide reliable, dependable electric service for its members while focusing on value, quality customer service, and enhancing life in the communities we serve. Pee Dee’s service area consists of Anson, Richmond, Union, Stanly, Montgomery, Moore, and Scotland counties. For more information about Pee Dee Electric, please visit www.pdemc.com.
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