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Solar One

Help grow solar energy in Columbia!

Columbia Water & Light invites you to invest in Columbia's future by participating in our new Solar One program. You can develop a local solar energy source for only $4 a month! Solar One Video

Availability: Columbia’s first Solar One projects are expected to generate enough power for 140 subscriptions in 2008. A list of interested customers is being collected by Columbia Water & Light on an ongoing basis. Customers will be signed up on a first come, first served basis as the energy becomes available. Put your name on the Solar One waiting list and you will be contacted via e-mail when solar energy is available for you to purchase.

Cost: In the first year, it is estimated that Solar One energy would be sold to customers in 100 Kilowatt Hour blocks for $48 annually or $4 a month. Electric customers who sign up for Solar One would have this charge added to their monthly utility bill. They would still pay the normal rate for the electricity they use.

Source of Energy: Solar One energy is generated through local solar systems located on city-owned property or at Columbia businesses. By partnering with local businesses, Columbia Water & Light can provide more solar energy at a lower cost. Columbia’s commercial buildings also have large roof tops with good solar exposure. Businesses can also take advantage of incentives for installing solar panels that are not available to the utility. Currently there are two projects producing Solar One energy for Columbia. The Dow Chemical Company and Missouri Solar Applications partnered with the city on the Bernadette Drive project. The city also has a power purchase agreement with the Quaker Oats plant on Route B to supply solar energy.

Solar Energy in the Midwest: Solar energy is a wonderful renewable energy resource but more costly than other renewable options in our region. In order to offer a solar energy option to our customers, Solar One was developed for customers that could afford the higher cost of this energy.

Future Project Development: As more solar projects are developed in Columbia and more customers join the program, the cost could potentially go down. Each year, the utility will look for new Columbia suppliers and evaluate the customer charge for this energy. Commercial customers that are interested in being a supplier of solar energy should contact Columbia Water & Light at wlmail@GoColumbiaMo.com or by calling 573-874-7325.

Solar One Goal: Produce one percent of Columbia’s electric portfolio from solar power in the year 2023.

Residential Solar Energy Production: Columbia Water & Light offers rebates for residential customers installing solar systems along with net metering. Net metering allows customers to sell energy they do not use back to the utility. Rebates and loans are also available to customers installing solar water heaters.

Other renewable projects: (Download the 2008 Renewable Energy Report in a .pdf file) Columbia has a renewable energy standard that requires increasing amounts of renewable energy. The amounts start at 2% of the electric supply in 2008 and grow to 15% in 2023. Columbia Water & Light is expecting to have 5% of the electric supply from wind power and two biogas projects in 2008. The cost of the renewable energy mandated in the ordinance must not be more than 3% of the cost of electricity derived from nonrenewable sources.