Colorado: Grand Valley Power Cooperative

The document details three community solar initiatives in Colorado, Iowa, and Minnesota. Grand Valley Power Cooperative developed a self-funded 17 kW array and a 24 kW low-income project with Grid Alternatives. Cedar Falls Utilities launched a 1.5 MW 'Simple Solar' program using a power purchasing agreement. Lake Region Electric Cooperative built a 25 kW array. All three utilized on-bill financing—adding lease payments to monthly utility bills—to remove upfront cost barriers, often substituting credit checks with utility payment history to expand eligibility.

• Grand Valley Power Cooperative's first community solar project, a 17 kW system costing $77,500, initially struggled with a 20% lease rate due to an $800 upfront fee. The co-op successfully increased subscriptions by introducing on-bill financing at $15 per month for five years, using utility bill payment history instead of credit checks to determine eligibility.
• In 2015, Grand Valley Power partnered with Grid Alternatives and the Colorado State Energy Office to create a 24 kW solar farm for low-income families. Eligible participants (those earning below 80% of Area Medium Income, or $48,000 for a family of four in Mesa County in 2015) paid no upfront costs but provided 15 hours of "sweat equity" and allowed a 2 cents/kWh administrative fee.
• Cedar Falls Utilities implemented the 1.5 MW "Simple Solar" program in 2016, producing approximately 2,600 megawatt-hours annually. The utility used a 25-year power purchasing agreement (PPA) with RER Energy Group, allowing the private developer to claim the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) which the tax-free utility could not access.
• Cedar Falls Utilities offered 20-year leases on 170 watt units for $270, with three out of four subscribers choosing on-bill financing via 12 no-interest installments. The program saw high demand, with over 1,250 residents and businesses subscribing and the University of Northern Iowa purchasing about 20% of the project.
• Lake Region Electric Cooperative developed a 25 kW, 60-panel array in 2013 to proactively prepare for potential solar mandates in Minnesota, where some utilities must generate 1.5% of energy from solar. The co-op offered a 'pay over time' option of $40 per month for 35 months for a full panel, avoiding credit score checks in favor of bill payment history.
• Lake Region Electric Cooperative's solar program attracted many retirees with seasonal homes; the co-op accommodates these users by allowing winter solar credits to be carried forward to 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} }