Photo by Mountain View Solar – http://www.mtvsolar.com
Since the first WV SUN residential solar co-ops were formed in 2014, the program has grown to 11 locations across the state.
As of September 2016, 58 homes in West Virginia have installed solar electricity generation systems through the West Virginia Solar United Neighborhoods (WV SUN) cooperative program.
WV SUN is a project of the Community Power Network, and uses a co-op model to organize discounted bulk purchases of solar equipment and arrange residential solar installations. Solar installation companies bid to provide the lowest cost bulk installation packages for each cooperative.
Monroe and Fayette counties were the first WV SUN co-ops formed in West Virginia, in 2014. There are currently 11 WV SUN co-ops across the state, and 333 members: Charleston, Fayette County, Monroe County (2), Tucker County, Randolph County, Wheeling, Morgantown, Beckley, Lewisburg and North Central West Virginia.
Morgantown is the largest WV SUN co-op, with 121 members. Of those, 23 houses have been fitted with solar systems at a combined cost of $409,074.
Wheeling’s WV SUN has installed the second most residential solar systems, 10, followed by Monroe County with 8, and Charleston with 7.
Who To Talk To:
West Virginia Solar United Neighborhoods
Email: WVSUN Program Director Karan Ireland.
