Greenskies completes commuity solar gardens

MIDDLETOWN — Greenskies Renewable Energy LLC, a Clean Focus company, in partnership with Black Hills Energy, has completed two community solar gardens in Southern Colorado. The projects will distribute clean, renewable energy to Colorado subscribers.

Greenskies will maintain and operate the solar gardens, and Clean Focus Yield Limited will own the systems as part of its large portfolio of commercial, industrial, small utility, and community solar projects. The projects went online in August 2018, able to power more than 600 homes for an entire year.

Posada Pueblo, a nonprofit subscriber to the community solar garden in Rocky Ford, provides housing and support services for the homeless in Pueblo County. The ground-mount projects reside in Rocky Ford and Ordway, Colorado. The fully-subscribed community solar gardens provide renewable energy to local homeowners, nonprofit organizations and businesses unable to install their own solar systems. Subscribers save money on their energy costs by participating in the community solar program. By choosing to receive power from the community solar gardens instead of the utility, subscribers receive credits on their BHE utility bill.

These projects are part of Black Hills Energy commitment to bring more renewable energy to Southern Colorado. The two Colorado community solar gardens are expected to produce 5,124,400 kWh of clean energy annually, saving 3,814 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. The two projects offset the environmental impact of 429,129 gallons of gasoline or nearly 817 cars each year.