Central Dispatch CGEMC Newsletter | February 2022

The truth about rooftop solar

Solar energy is booming and the future is brighter than ever. But with the increasing popularity of solar, some businesses are taking advantage of consumers interested in generating their energy with rooftop panels.

While many solar companies are genuine and want to help consumers with a successful solar installation, there are occasional bad apples. If you're interested in rooftop solar panels for your home, consider these facts before you make a decision:

• Most rooftop solar systems require interconnection with the electric grid to meet your home's energy needs 24/7. If your home remains connected to the grid, you will continue to receive a Central Georgia EMC (CGEMC) bill for the applicable base charge and any energy delivered from the grid.
• As a safety precaution, rooftop solar systems must automatically discontinue energy production when the electric grid goes down. This means that unless your system includes integrated battery storage (a considerable additional expense), solar power will not be available.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Many rooftop solar companies calculate overly inflated annual electric rate increases in their payback estimates. The actual annual rate of increase for CGEMC residential bills has averaged 1% for the past decade.
• What is the cost? According to www.energysage.com and www.solarreviews.com, one kilowatt (kW) of rooftop solar installed in Georgia costs an average of $3,000 before tax credits and produces 4.0 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per day. In comparison, over the past year, CGEMC Cooperative Solar participants received 6.46 kWh per day for only $19 per month.
• Because rooftop solar production and home energy needs seldom align, a large percentage of the energy produced by rooftop solar systems flows back to the grid. Without battery storage, you cannot save energy produced by your rooftop solar system for use at a later time. Via net-metering on a continuous basis, the applicable avoided cost credit or retail rate charge is assessed at the time of power flow to or from the grid.
• CGEMC has met its statutory customer-generator purchase requirements under O.C.G.A. 46-3-56 and offers no guarantee of purchasing output from any new rooftop solar installations.

Rather than relying solely on information from a salesperson, be sure to do your homework and gather all of the facts before committing to purchase a rooftop solar system. CGEMC representatives are available and ready to serve as your trusted energy advisers.

cooperative solar expands!

Green Power EMC, the renewable energy supplier for 38 Georgia Electric Membership Corporations, and Silicon Ranch, one of the nation’s largest independent solar power producers, announced an agreement to bring an additional 252 megawatts (MWAC) of solar energy online to serve 16 subscribing cooperatives from across Georgia. The total capacity will be generated across three locations in southern Georgia and will produce enough low-cost, renewable power to help serve more than 44,000 EMC households annually.

These solar fields fuel our Cooperative Solar program and the continued expansion will provide greater stability and output. If you are interested in adding solar to your energy mix, there are several advantages of going with Cooperative Solar.

• Low-cost way to benefit from solar energy
• No maintenance hassles
• The perfect solution for renters who want to be involved with renewable energy
• No red tape with zoning restrictions or homeowners’ associations
• No holes in the roof to accommodate solar equipment
• No long-term contract or commitment

For $19 per month for each solar energy block, you will receive a credit on your monthly bill for the kilowatt-hours (kWh) generated by your solar energy block(s). Each block is expected to generate 114 to 186 kWh monthly. If you use fewer kWh during the billing period than the kWh generated by your solar energy block(s), you will receive credit for the excess energy (per CGEMC’s Net Metering Service Rider). The monthly energy produced for each customer varies due to the position of the sun, time of year, and the number of cloudy days. Therefore, you will receive different amounts of solar energy each month, based on the availability of sunlight and the performance of the solar facility. The $19 per block Cooperative Solar charge will appear as a separate line item on your bill.

Are you ready?

It's time to apply for the 2022 Washington Youth Tour! Central Georgia EMC will select two local high school students to represent our cooperative and state as delegates for an all-expenses-paid trip of a lifetime!

This week-long leadership experience and tour of Washington, D.C., is an unparalleled opportunity that includes meeting with state and national leaders and visiting major national monuments June 17 -23.

The Washington Youth Tour is open to students who are:

• High school sophomores or juniors who will be at least 16 years old by the first day of the tour.
• Residents and students within Central Georgia EMC's service counties.

Visit www.cgemc.com/washington-youth-tour for more details and to download applications.

The deadline for submitting an application is February 28.