BOULDER, Colo. and LOUISVILLE, Colo., April 3, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The community solar developer, Clean Energy Collective (CEC), has selected RGS Energy (Nasdaq: RGSE ) as the general contractor for the construction of the first community-owned solar facilities located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
RGS Energy, a nationwide leader of turnkey solar energy solutions for residential, commercial, and utility customers, will provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for two large solar arrays of nearly 1 megawatt (MW) each owned and operated by CEC.
One will be located in Hadley, Mass. and serve customers of Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECo). The other will be deployed in Rehoboth, Mass. to serve National Grid customers. Construction has already begun on the two sites, with interconnection planned for the end of June.
"As the first community-owned solar model in Massachusetts, these projects represent a new enabler for increased solar adoption, where owners of individual solar panels can reduce their home or business electric utility bill with solar power," said Kam Mofid, CEO of RGS Energy, "while at the same time reducing their carbon footprint in a meaningful way."
CEC President Paul Spencer stressed the value RGS Energy brings to the solar projects: "RGS Energy is the ideal partner for us in implementing these facilities. With their outstanding systems engineering and deployment capabilities and their national footprint, they can ensure our individual project specifications are delivered on time and to the highest standards."
Both facilities will employ 300-watt panels, inverters by Advanced Energy, racking from RBI Solar, and monitoring systems provided by Ambient Weather.
Refundable panel reservations are now open to both WMECo and NGrid customers. For more information visit: www.MassCommunitySolar.com , or contact CEC at info@masscommunitysolar.com or (800) 646-0323.
What is Community-Owned Solar?
Community solar arrays—sometimes referred to as a solar farm or solar garden—are centralized photovoltaic (PV) power facilities that deliver reliable, commercial-scale renewable energy to the electric utility grid.
The fast growing distributed generation model pioneered by CEC allows any customer in a participating utility territory, including renters, those with shaded roofs or people with modest incomes, the opportunity to own panels in a shared solar PV facility, scalable to a single panel, without having to install a rooftop system on their home or business. The solar PV arrays are designed and located for maximum power production and lifespan, delivering the lowest possible price for renewable energy. In return for the power produced, customers receive credits on monthly electric bills, reducing their expenses and exposure to rising electricity costs while also reducing their carbon footprint.
The utility sector is quickly embracing the community solar model because of its ability to deliver reliable, long-term, in-grid power at reasonable rates, while also contributing to a utility's renewable portfolio standard requirements outside the limitations of net-metering.
About Clean Energy Collective
Clean Energy Collective (CEC) is the nation's leading developer of community solar solutions. CEC pioneered the model of delivering clean power-generation through large-scale facilities that are collectively owned by participating utility customers. Since establishing the first community-owned solar garden in the country in 2010 near El Jebel, Colorado, CEC has built or has under development 40 community solar projects with 18 utility partners across 7 states, representing 26 MW of community solar capacity. www.easycleanenergy.com
About RGS Energy
RGS Energy (Nasdaq: RGSE ) is one of the nation's pioneering solar energy companies serving commercial, residential, and utility customers. Beginning with one of the very first photovoltaic panels sold to the public in the U.S. in 1978, the company has installed more than 19,000 solar power systems representing well over 170 megawatts of 100% clean renewable energy. RGS Energy makes it very convenient for customers to save on their energy bill by providing a comprehensive solar solution, from design, financing, permitting and installation to ongoing monitoring, maintenance and support.
As one of the nation's largest and most experienced solar power players, the company has 17 offices across the West and the Northeast. For more information, visit RGSEnergy.com , on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RGSEnergy and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rgsenergy . RGS Energy is a trade name and RGS Energy makes filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission under its official name "Real Goods Solar, Inc."
Media Contact for CEC: Tim Braun (970) 618-0080 Media and Investor Relations Contact for RGS Energy: Ron Both, Senior Managing Director Liolios Group, Inc. (949) 574-3860
