Boulder County and Solar United Neighbors (SUN) have partnered with multiple cities and towns to launch Boulder County's first county-wide solar co-op. The co-op will help members go solar by simplifying the process. Residents and businesses in Boulder, Erie, Lafayette, Louisville, Lyons, Nederland and Superior will be able to leverage their numbers to purchase top-quality individual solar systems at a competitive price.
“This new co-op is about taking action to create a better tomorrow,” said Boulder County Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann in a press release. “It's about increasing access to renewable solar energy by reducing upfront costs, building local resilience, and taking bold strides towards cutting out the fossil fuels causing the climate chaos we’re all experiencing. Boulder County looks forward to working with SUN on this new initiative.”
After a competitive bidding process facilitated by SUN, a vendor neutral solar nonprofit, co-op members will select a single solar company to complete the installations. Joining the co-op does not obligate members to purchase solar. Instead, members will have the option to individually purchase panels and electric vehicle chargers based on the installer’s group rate. Homeowners may also be able to use the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which can reduce the cost of installing solar by 30%.
“We're proud to support efforts that simplify the process of installing solar,” said City of Boulder Director of Climate Initiatives Jonathan Koehn.“This co-op channels the power of community acting together to reduce emissions, build resilience, and lower energy costs.”
The co-op is free to join and open to all homeowners and small business owners in Boulder County. Interested parties can sign up to join the co-op at solarunitedneighbors.org/bouldercounty.
Individuals interested in learning more about the co-op are invited to attend one of the following free information sessions:
Solar 101
- October 25, 2023
- 5:30 p.m.
- Boulder Public Library, 1001 Arapahoe Avenue Boulder, CO 80302
- Register
Solar 101 Webinar
- November 15, 2023
- 5:30 p.m.
- Virtual
- Register
