Photo by Dennis Schroeder/NREL
Illustration by Jeff Slemons
Photo by Dennis Schroeder/NREL
Photo by Dennis Schroeder/NREL
In December 2018, Xcel Energy’s Solar*Rewards Community Program accepted our innovative proposal to partner with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado State University, and the University of Arizona to build a 1.2 MW community solar garden where researchers will study how best to grow crops underneath and around our solar panels and where our community will benefit from social and environmental services that we will provide.
Solar*Rewards Community Program Participant
Photos by Dennis Schroeder/NREL
Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado State University, and the University of Arizona will study the growth of crops and vegetation under our solar panels to better understand the newly formed microclimates that can improve the efficiency of our solar panels while conserving more moisture in our soils. This co-location of solar panels and agriculture is called agrivoltaics.
A large pollinator habitat of wildflowers, shrubs, and trees will be established around our solar garden to provide more forage for local birds and bees. Fruiting shrubs and trees will be prioritized to also create more food for you and me.
Photo by Dennis Schroeder/NREL
Boulder County art will be promoted in and around our solar garden through collaborations with local artisans.
Photo by Dennis Schroeder/NREL
Educational tours will be provided for local schools and organizations to show our community how energy and food can be produced on the same parcel of land.
Illustration by Jeff Slemons
Select low-income households in Boulder County will receive free electricity bill credits via Xcel Energy for the following 20 years.
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