Renovus looks to spread word about community solar farms

ITHACA — With 10 community solar farms built and an 11th soon to get underway, Renovus Solar is looking to bring the concept to a wider market.

The company has built residential solar-power systems in the area, says Ryan McCune, Renovus’ head of marketing, but until now has only built community solar farms in areas served by New York State Electric and Gas Corporation.

The 11th farm, to be built on commercial property in Homer, will be the first in National Grid’s service area, McCune says.

Solar farms differ from residential systems in several ways, key among them being that they are built offsite. However, McCune says there are many similarities in how they operate.

A customer would pay for a certain amount of kilowatts of power from the farm. The average home uses about seven kilowatt hours of power. Depending on the particulars of the actual solar farm, purchasing that much power would cost something between $20,000 and $22,000, McCune says. Tax credits cut that cost by about 60 percent for residential users, he adds.

Final costs for small businesses would depend on different tax considerations and grants, he says. “With commercial, it’s a little bit different.” However, the discount should again be around 60 percent. “No one pays sticker price,” he says.

That initial spending would cover the cost of electricity for 25 years, “guaranteed,” McCune says. If those buying into a solar farm finance the purchase over 15 years and continue to use the same amount of electricity, McCune says the final 10 years of electricity are free. 

A dozen interested people attended a question-and-action session held at the end of May at Drumlins Country Club in Syracuse, McCune says. He says that at such sessions many people want to know how a community solar farm works.

Some wonder about the environmental impact of solar farms. McCune says that much of the land used for solar farms is lying fallow and that Renovus uses building techniques that minimize impact on the land. For instance, he says the only concrete poured is a 10-square-foot pad for the transformer. The rest of equipment is built on galvanized I-beams that can be dug up and removed in 25 years when the lease on the property is finished. “We’re not making the area non-viable,” he says.

Renovus has been growing rapidly in recent years, McCune says. Starting with two people in 2003, Renovus grew to a dozen or so employees by 2012. Today, the company has nearly 70 employees, McCune says, most involved in installing and maintaining solar systems. The company has installed more than 10 megawatts of power at residences, commercial installations, and solar farms — more than half of it since 2015, he adds. (For comparison, Nine Mile Point 1 nuclear power plant is rated at 609 megawatts.) Another two megawatts of solar power are scheduled to be installed by year’s end.

In addition to the solar farms, McCune says Renovus has installed more than 700 residential solar-power systems.

While solar power may seem an odd fit in often-cloudy Central New York, McCune explains that community solar farms for this area are built to produce twice as much electricity as needed in the summer months. The extra electricity earns owners power credits that get applied in colder, darker months.

Additionally, he says that solar farms are built at angles and in areas that maximize solar exposure and limit shade — something that isn’t always possible in a residential installation.

Plus, he says that systems built in open fields are less likely to collect snow and more likely to shed it when the wind picks up.       

ITHACA — With 10 community solar farms built and an 11th soon to get underway, Renovus Solar is looking to bring the concept to a wider market.

The company has built residential solar-power systems in the area, says Ryan McCune, Renovus’ head of marketing, but until now has only built community solar farms in areas served by New York State Electric and Gas Corporation.

The 11th farm, to be built on commercial property in Homer, will be the first in National Grid’s service area, McCune says.

Solar farms differ from residential systems in several ways, key among them being that they are built offsite. However, McCune says there are many similarities in how they operate.

A customer would pay for a certain amount of kilowatts of power from the farm. The average home uses about seven kilowatt hours of power. Depending on the particulars of the actual solar farm, purchasing that much power would cost something between $20,000 and $22,000, McCune says. Tax credits cut that cost by about 60 percent for residential users, he adds.

Final costs for small businesses would depend on different tax considerations and grants, he says. “With commercial, it’s a little bit different.” However, the discount should again be around 60 percent. “No one pays sticker price,” he says.

That initial spending would cover the cost of electricity for 25 years, “guaranteed,” McCune says. If those buying into a solar farm finance the purchase over 15 years and continue to use the same amount of electricity, McCune says the final 10 years of electricity are free. 

A dozen interested people attended a question-and-action session held at the end of May at Drumlins Country Club in Syracuse, McCune says. He says that at such sessions many people want to know how a community solar farm works.

Some wonder about the environmental impact of solar farms. McCune says that much of the land used for solar farms is lying fallow and that Renovus uses building techniques that minimize impact on the land. For instance, he says the only concrete poured is a 10-square-foot pad for the transformer. The rest of equipment is built on galvanized I-beams that can be dug up and removed in 25 years when the lease on the property is finished. “We’re not making the area non-viable,” he says.

Renovus has been growing rapidly in recent years, McCune says. Starting with two people in 2003, Renovus grew to a dozen or so employees by 2012. Today, the company has nearly 70 employees, McCune says, most involved in installing and maintaining solar systems. The company has installed more than 10 megawatts of power at residences, commercial installations, and solar farms — more than half of it since 2015, he adds. (For comparison, Nine Mile Point 1 nuclear power plant is rated at 609 megawatts.) Another two megawatts of solar power are scheduled to be installed by year’s end.

In addition to the solar farms, McCune says Renovus has installed more than 700 residential solar-power systems.

While solar power may seem an odd fit in often-cloudy Central New York, McCune explains that community solar farms for this area are built to produce twice as much electricity as needed in the summer months. The extra electricity earns owners power credits that get applied in colder, darker months.

Additionally, he says that solar farms are built at angles and in areas that maximize solar exposure and limit shade — something that isn’t always possible in a residential installation.

Plus, he says that systems built in open fields are less likely to collect snow and more likely to shed it when the wind picks up.