The groundbreaking ceremony for Acorn Energy Solar One (AESO), the community solar photovoltaic project organized by the Acorn Renewable Energy Co-op of Middlebury, was held on Monday behind the Middlebury Police Station just off Lucius Shaw Lane.

In addition to a number of project participants and supporters, the ceremony was attended by representatives of the three main partners, Co-operative Insurance Companies of Middlebury, the Town of Middlebury and the Acorn Energy Co-op.

Left to right: John Tenny, Select Board Chair; Ken Perine, President, National Bank of Middlebury; Marie Jewett, President and CEO, Dave Tatlock, Treasurer and CFO, Co-op Insurance; Greg Pahl, president, Peter Carothers, Secretary, Jim Adams, board member, Tom Dunne, Vice-President, and Rich Carpenter, Treasurer, Acorn Renewabble Energy Co-op.

"This groundbreaking represents the culmination of over a year of planning and hard work," said Greg Pahl, board president of the Acorn Renewable Energy Co-op.  "I want to thank everyone who has helped us get to this exciting moment in this collaborative community project".  

Pahl also read a letter of support from Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, which said, in part: "Congratulations on the groundbreaking of Acorn Energy Solar One. I believe there is a fiscal and environmental urgency for us to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and move toward sustainable sources of power. Today's groundbreaking of Acorn Energy Solar One is an important step for Vermont in that direction."

AESO, the legal entity that owns the project, is working with Encore Redevelopment of Burlington on project development and construction management. Alteris Renewables, Inc. of Montpelier, is the general contractor for the 148-kilowatt project.

In addition to the environmental benefits, The AESO project makes a lot of sense from a financial standpoint as well, according to Dave Tatlock, Chief Financial Officer of

Co-op Insurance.

"Co-operative Insurance is a member-owned co-op, but we're also a for-profit company," he says. "Our member-owners and insurance regulators expect us to make prudent investments and generate profits to build surplus. This is a great project for us to be involved in, but it also will give us a good return on our investment."

AESO is leasing the acre of town-owned land located at the former wastewater treatment plant site that will host the group net metered, 528-panel, photovoltaic array. The ground mounted solar array is expected to generate 172,500 kilowatt hours of electricity each year-enough to provide electricity to around 30 average homes. The three project partners will each receive one-third of the electricity produced by the solar array.

The Acorn Energy Co-op's third of the project's output will be made available to 16 Energy Co-op members as subscribers under a group net-metering arrangement. Subscriber signup is on a first-come, first-served basis, and is now open. Area residents who wish to participate should contact the Acorn Energy Co-op at 802 385-1911 or visit acornenergycoop.com for details listed under "Group Net Metering."

"I want to thank the Acorn Energy Co-op for their leadership in this truly collaborative community project," says John Tenny, Middlebury Select Board Chair. "The Town of Middlebury is very pleased to be part of it."

In a congratulatory letter, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (who was unable to attend) said, "What you are doing today is extraordinarily important. As a state and a nation, we are beginning to take serious steps to transform our energy system to energy efficiency and sustainable energy and away from reliance on fossil fuels. I am very proud of what all the grassroots community organizations such as Acorn Energy Co-op are doing in our state to help move this effort forward."

"I believe this is the first co-operative/municipal collaboration of its kind in the state for a project like this," said Jon Copans, Community Liaison for Congressman Peter Welch. "I want to congratulate all of you for demonstrating what Vermonters can achieve when they work together as a community."

Construction is expected to begin next week, with completion projected before the end of the year.

"We hope that Acorn Energy Solar One will inspire other communities around the state to organize locally-owned renewable energy projects of their own," Pahl said.

  

Individual Subscriptions for AESO Solar Project Due Tuesday  

 

Solar panels like these will soon be erected on the hill behind the Middlebury Police Station

Between now and November 15, Acorn Energy Co-op will accept applications for 2% shares in our 150 kW solar PV project called Acorn Energy Solar One (AESO), soon to be under construction behind the Middlebury Police Station. 

 

In order to participate, each subscriber will pay an AESO membership fee of $2,000, which will draw interest at 2% paid annually.  This will qualify the subscriber to purchase a 2% share of the array's electrical output from CVPS and receive a two cent per kWh rebate. 

 

In Year 11, the rebate increases to five cents, and a portion of the membership fee will be repaid each year until the fee is fully repaid.  In the table below, you can see how AESO participation will provide significant returns for subscribers.

A more detailed description of the opportunity can be found at our website, www.acornenergycoop.com or by clicking here.  Once you've reviewed this, you may download the Group Net Metering Agreement. 

 

If you then wish to participate, you must be an existing CVPS customer and follow these steps:

• Become a lifetime Acorn Energy Co-op member by filling out the application found here and writing a check, payable to Acorn Energy Co-op, in the amount of $350 (or $250 for those who have elected the limited income option), minus amounts you may have paid annually. 
• Fill out the Member Signature Page found here.
• Write a check, payable to Acorn Energy Solar One, LLC in the amount of $2,000.  We will return checks to any who are not selected in the lottery.  
• Mail both checks, postmarked no later than November 14 to: Acorn Energy Co-op, P.O. Box 65, Middlebury, VT 05753.

If you have any questions, our email address is:  info@acornenergycoop.com. 

 

Thank you for your interest in renewable energy!

 

 

The Acorn Energy Co-op Team