Community solar program
Solar power is energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy. It is the cleanest and most renewable energy sources available in the world. Right here in Indiana, more than 44,000 homes (per seia.org) are powered by solar power. We're excited to help this number to continue to grow.
A few years ago, Northeastern REMC installed a large solar ray right on the property of the headquarters in Columbia City. This project, one of the first in Indiana consists of 160 (315-watt) solar panels. We offer our members the ability to purchase the solar energy output from our large solar structure. This helps members avoid the cost of installation and maintenance or any of the other obstacles in a construction project.
Participation in this community solar project may provide an ideal solution for residential and commercial members who support renewable energy but don’t have a suitable site for solar panels or don’t have the money to invest in a system of their own. To learn more, contact member services or view the frequently asked questions below.
Yes, you must be a member of Northeastern REMC with an active electric account to participate in community solar.
As the owner, Northeastern REMC will maintain the facility just as we maintain the electric infrastructure. It's one less thing for you to worry about and a great benefit of community solar.
The initial cost to participate is $50 per 315 watt panel. A $5.00 fee per panel is included in the monthly bill.
You are purchasing/pre-paying for the electricity generated by your share (production credits) of the community solar facility, but you will not own any property or equipment. You are welcome to view the panels - call us for information. The panels are located just west of Northeastern’s office at 4901 East Park 30 Drive, Columbia City in Park 30 Business Park.
Each full panel is 315 watts and is projected to produce 377 kWh average annually.
Each participant will have electric production credited to their account as long as they continue paying the monthly $5.00 per panel fee.
Your pro-rated share of the electric production will show up as a separate line on your monthly bill.
The power provided by the community solar facility is not directly fed into the member’s individual household, but rather goes straight into NREMC’s electric grid.
Instead of having it physically on your roof, we use a virtual method of calculating how much of the energy produced at the facility gets credited toward your actual energy usage. We do the work and you get the solar credit!
If you are moving to another location in our service area, the Northeastern REMC Solar Agreement and credits can transfer to your new address.
Under our current rate structure and the current cost of solar production and storage materials, Community Solar customers don't significantly reduce their electric bills. The primary benefit to using Community Solar is reducing your reliance to fossil fuels by choosing a more environmentally beneficial energy source. As solar technology improves, costs go down, so we hope to offer our solar customers greater cost savings in the future.
Northeastern REMC members can now purchase Green Solar Watts our Community Solar Project. If you are interested in solar energy but conditions at your home are not suitable for solar panels, we might have the perfect option for you.