Joule Assets, through Joule Community Power, has signed separate contracts with Luminace and BQ Energy for a combined 31,000 MWh of community solar energy expected in its first year of operation.
Much of the capacity will be used for community opt-out solar programs that Joule calls “community choice solar” in New York’s Marbletown, Beacon and Philipstown, expected to start in early 2022. Part of Hudson Valley Community Power, a Joule-run community choice aggregation program for clean energy, the community choice solar offering will be available to more than 4,500 households and small businesses, with approximately 35 to 50% of which are expected to be low to 50% homes. average income (LMI). One of the main benefits of the offer for participants is a solar credit on their monthly electricity bill, which equates to a discount of up to 10% on an annual basis.
“Hudson Valley Community Power will be the first solar opt-out community program to explicitly prioritize LMI residents for solar benefits,” said Jessica Stromback, CEO of Joule Assets. “We’ve already saved thousands of New Yorkers monthly on their utility bills while promoting clean energy, and these deals will help those who need it most.”
A two-month community outreach period will begin shortly to introduce the program to residents through local news channels, social media accounts, public events, open Q&A sessions and more.
Traditional community solar programs, which rely heavily on individual counseling to enroll program subscribers, typically enroll less than 5% of those eligible. Alternatively, eligible participants in community solar choice programs are automatically enrolled without having to sign an individual contract, undergo a credit check, or receive a separate solar bill. In this format, engagement increases to approximately 90% of eligible program participants. Solar developers can also add thousands of new subscribers almost instantly.
News item from Joule
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