Colorado: Grand Valley Power Cooperative

This case study describes community solar projects with on-bill financing options implemented by three utilities in the United States: Grand Valley Power Cooperative in Colorado, Cedar Falls Utilities in Iowa, and Lake Region Electric Cooperative in Minnesota.

• Grand Valley Power Cooperative developed two community solar projects in Colorado. The first, a 17 kW system built in 2011 for $77,500, transitioned to an 'on-bill financing' model after a member survey revealed that the $800 upfront subscription fee was a barrier. Under this model, members paid $15 per month for five years, and subscriptions doubled and eventually sold out.
• In June 2015, Grand Valley Power partnered with the non-profit Grid Alternatives to launch a 24 kW community solar farm specifically for low-income families. Eligibility was limited to members with incomes below 80 percent of Area Medium Income ($48,000 for a family of four in Mesa County in 2015). Participants provided 15 hours of "sweat equity" and received shares for four years, saving each household approximately $600 annually in electricity costs.
• Cedar Falls Utilities in Iowa connected a 1.5 MW community solar farm to the grid in 2016, known as the "Simple Solar" program. The system is expected to produce roughly 2,600 megawatt-hours of energy per year. Customers could purchase a 20-year lease on a 170 watt unit for $270, with three out of four subscribers choosing to pay via 12 no-interest installments on their monthly utility bill.
• The Simple Solar project in Cedar Falls was developed through a 25-year power purchasing agreement (PPA) with RER Energy Group. This structure allowed the private developer to capture the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which Cedar Falls Utilities could not access as a tax-free entity. The utility retains the right to buy the array once tax benefits are exhausted.
• Lake Region Electric Cooperative in Minnesota built a 25 kW, 60-panel community solar array in 2013 at its headquarters in Pelican Rapids. To avoid upfront cost barriers, the co-op offered a 'pay over time' option where members could lease a full panel for $40 a month over 35 months. The program sold out within six months.
• Lake Region Electric Cooperative's solar program provides a $5.75 monthly bill credit for a full panel, with a 20-year payback period. The co-op allows seasonal homeowners, many of whom reside in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, to carry forward winter solar credits to the spring or summer.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (n.d.). Colorado: Grand Valley Power Cooperative. https://www.eesi.org/obf/solar/casestudies

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Colorado: Grand Valley Power Cooperative. n.d. https://www.eesi.org/obf/solar/casestudies.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Colorado: Grand Valley Power Cooperative |url=https://www.eesi.org/obf/solar/casestudies |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitutendcolorado, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Colorado: Grand Valley Power Cooperative}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, url = {https://www.eesi.org/obf/solar/casestudies}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }