Big Country Electric Cooperative (BCEC) is excited to announce a 500-kilowatt (kW) solar project, which is now fully operational at their Snyder office. The project is comprised of 1,728 photovoltaic (PV) modules and 12 inverters, with a total capacity of one-half megawatt (500 kW). It is expected to produce as much as one million kilowatt hours (kWh) each year, which is approximately enough generation to power 15 – 25 average-sized homes yearly. This project will allow the co-op to learn about solar power firsthand - and benefit from its generation - on a small scale.
“There are many changes taking place in the electric utility industry. One of those changes is renewable energy. Wind and solar are becoming prominent subjects of discussion in the electric cooperative world and in the utility industry as a whole. Big Country has strategically chosen to apply renewable energy generation on a small scale as a learning opportunity, and has partnered with Midwest Solar Power, LLC,” said BCEC General Manager Mark McClain.
Midwest Solar Power developed the project and has received a tax abatement for it from the city of Snyder, which exempts the company from paying city taxes for 10 years.
One unique feature of this solar plant is that it exists on the electrical border of two independent power grids, namely the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP). The site normally operates within the ERCOT grid but this circuit is capable of - and has on several occasions in the past - been switched to the SPP grid. This unique feature offers potential opportunities for demand reduction on either grid and even opens the door to prospective large scale energy storage initiatives.
BCEC will purchase power generated by the project. This 25-year fixed-price agreement will provide a hedge against future power price increases for at least the scale and scope of the solar plant. By far, the greatest expense of any distribution Coop is its wholesale power costs, which are directly impacted by summertime load peaks. Since solar generation naturally peaks at the same time as the utility’s overall load peak, the resulting peak reduction is expected to reduce the co-op’s amount of purchased power.
The public is invited to tour the new solar project on Friday, May 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Big Country Electric Cooperative is located at 1600 McCowen in the industrial park on Snyder’s east side.