Kent Scarborough served many organizations at important positions during his career. He is very serious about making use of renewable sources to fulfill a host of energy needs which made him worked as a Solar Manager at a company named AAA Trade Power. During his work tenure, he helped several families in the area to avail maximum benefits of solar energy to meet their energy demands.
Kent says that sun is the main source of everything on this planet. Solar energy is useful in many ways as it creates two main types of energy-light and heat which can be harnessed for many activities ranging from photosynthesis in plants to create electricity with photovoltaic cells. Kent explains various uses of solar energy to help ourselves make the optimum use of sunlight in our daily life.
When you consider the benefits inherent in use of solar power then it includes monetary benefits, environmental sustainability and a better reputation. Many business leaders keep solar energy on top of their mind while many entrepreneurs don’t think it’s feasible to install panels for many reasons like affordability, lack of control over premises or limited access to rooftop. According to a research, approximately 50 percent of consumers and businesses were not able to host even their own photovoltaic systems for the generation of solar energy from the sun. Kent is a successful businessman who explains that with the recent development, companies are now not only limited to use of clean energy and they can make use of solar energy without even installing a single panel. This technology is popularly known as community solar wherein the power from a solar plant is shared among several companies or households without any need of roof-access.
Setting the Stage for Community Solar
Community solar systems are large batches of solar panels located in public or jointly owned properties. Sometimes, you’ve to purchase individual solar panels while in some cases, and you can buy a set amount of energy production every month. The different models for community use are explained here.
Utility-Sponsored Model: In this model, utility companies give consumers the option to buy renewable energy from a shared source. The utility company owns the energy and sells it at fixed rate for a period of time. The periods can range from months to years. It saves the consumer from rising rates of grid electricity. This model is best suited for small and local businesses.
On-Bill Crediting Model: Consumers and business owners can invest in local solar facility to receive credit on their electricity bills for the amount of power production. These credits can be in the form of kilowatt-hour or monetary credits on the bill. The rate of energy fluctuates according to various laws and regulations.
Special Purpose Entity Model: This model allows individual consumers to enter into a business of developing a community solar facility. The different participants design, construct and own the community solar facility and work together with a utility company to allocate the benefits to the ultimate users.
Kent Scarborough –a self-made entrepreneur and philanthropist from Australia thinks that the future of solar as a corporate power supply seems inevitable. The community solar offers the best way for businesses without rooftop access to take meaningful steps toward a more profitable bottom line and a more sustainable future.