Denver-based Pivot Energy (“Pivot”), and Nautilus Solar Energy (“Nautilus”), leaders in the development of community solar projects, announce the completion of a 13 MW community solar portfolio in Colorado. The fully operational portfolio is comprised of seven projects located in Crowley, Weld, and Logan Counties, and provides a clean energy alternative to an estimated 1,700 households and 12 commercial subscribers, including the Town of Breckenridge, in the Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy utility territories. Over the 20-year lifetime of the projects, the portfolio will avoid carbon emissions equivalent to taking nearly 185,000 cars off the road for a year.
Nautilus is the long-term owner and operator of the projects, having acquired the portfolio from Pivot in 2020. This represents the Nautilus’s first entry into Colorado. The solar subscriptions are managed through Pivot Energy’s SunCentral platform, which uses proprietary cloud-based software to provide subscribers with convenient user features such as seamless bill payments, energy production monitoring, and downloadable financial reports. At this time, Pivot is still accepting subscriber applications from interested parties.
Tom Hunt, CEO of Pivot Energy, said, “We are thrilled to see the full completion of these projects. Nautilus has proven to be an excellent partner, and we have made great strides in our shared mission of expanding access to solar power to more communities. As we work on future projects, the benefits to Coloradans will only grow, from supporting construction jobs to positively impacting air quality.”
Jeffrey Cheng, President of Nautilus, remarked, “Pivot Energy has been an ideal partner for Nautilus to enter the Colorado market and to expand our community solar savings to its local residents and businesses. Pivot’s successful history in the region has been instrumental to the development of these sites and upon completion, these solar projects will bring lasting benefits for Colorado communities for decades to come.”
Colorado was the first state to establish a statewide community solar program in 2010 with the passage of the Community Solar Gardens Act. Since then, Colorado has experienced tremendous growth in community solar, bringing economic opportunity and clean energy to communities across the state. Community solar is unique in that it provides Colorado residents, previously unable to afford or access solar energy, with the opportunity to subscribe to a local community solar project and save money without the need to invest in or install a system on their roof. Community solar has become the fastest growing segment of the solar market with over 3.2 GW of installed capacity, enough to power about 140,000 households. Today, twenty states and the District of Columbia allow community solar programs, creating local jobs and spurring local economic investment.
For more information on how to participate in a community solar garden, please visit: https://platform.pivotenergy.net/residential/