Three co-ops launch across Eastern Panhandle

By Ben Delman on August 21, 2017

Neighbors across the Eastern Panhandle are forming solar co-ops to save money and make going solar easier, while building a network of solar supporters. The Jefferson County Solar Co-op, the Berkeley & Morgan Counties Solar Co-op, and the Potomac Highlands Solar Co-op are each seeking members and will host a series of public information meetings throughout the panhandle during the last week of August to educate the community about solar and the co-op process.

Residents of Hardy, Mineral, Grant, Hampshire, and Pendleton counties are invited to join the Potomac Highlands Solar Co-op. The Potomac Highlands Solar Co-op is sponsored by Eastern WV Community & Technical College, the WV Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the League of Women Voters-WV.

Residents of Berkeley & Morgan counties are invited to join the Berkeley & Morgan Counties Solar Co-op. The Berkeley & Morgan Counties Solar Co-op is sponsored by the WV Chapter of the Sierra Club and the League of Women Voters-WV.

Residents of Jefferson County are invited to join the Jefferson County Solar Co-op. The Jefferson County Solar Co-op is sponsored by Renew Jefferson, the League of Women Voters of Jefferson County, and the WV Chapter of the Sierra Club.

WV SUN expands access to solar by educating West Virginians about the benefits of distributed solar energy, helping them organize group solar installations, and strengthening the state’s solar policies, as well as its community of solar supporters. The group has worked with a dozen West Virginia communities to develop solar co-ops over the past three years.

Joining a co-op is not a commitment to purchase panels. Once each group is large enough, WV SUN will help the co-ops solicit competitive bids from area solar installers. Co-op members will select a single company to complete all the installations for their group. They will then have the option to purchase panels individually based on the installer’s group rate. By going solar as a group and choosing a single installer, co-op participants receive fair and competitive pricing as well as support from WV SUN throughout the entire process of going solar.