
US Solar has added Wells Fargo‘s 8 MW Sunscription to five new US Solar Community Solar Gardens in Colorado. The solar gardens are located in Xcel Energy, Black Hills Energy territories and will serve residential and commercial customers as well low- to medium-income service providers in the greater Colorado area. Wells Fargo’s Sunscription will provide utility bill credits for nearly 100 of its retail and corporate locations across Colorado.
The program also provides the opportunity for Wells Fargo’s Colorado employees residing in the Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy territories to enter into a Sunscription with US Solar and help drive the adoption of renewable energy on the local power grid, while also receiving bill credits that can lower their energy bills.
A Sunscription to US Solar’s solar garden allows individuals and businesses to reap the benefits of solar energy without having to pay any upfront costs. Community solar increases access to solar energy for homes and businesses that aren’t ideally situated for rooftop solar installations. Subscribers get savings by receiving a credit on their electric bills based upon the production of the sun garden. This also supports the development of clean energy locally.
“Wells Fargo’s renewable energy strategy is to leverage our annual energy spend to support the development of net-new renewable generation assets in locations where our energy needs are the greatest,” says Richard Henderson, head of Wells Fargo’s Corporate Properties Group and Denver resident. “In addition to the climate benefits, projects like US Solar’s community solar gardens provide a path for underserved communities to benefit from community solar and take advantage of lower energy bills and increased energy resilience.”
US Solar currently has 14 solar gardens under construction in Colorado. US Solar will plant pollinator-friendly native vegetation in each solar garden. This will help reduce stormwater runoff and improve soil regeneration.
“We are proud to have Wells Fargo as a subscriber to our Solar Gardens and thrilled to offer this new program to their employees,” states Erica Forsman, vice president of origination at US Solar. “It is an exciting opportunity to support Wells Fargo’s corporate renewable energy goals while providing benefit to their employees and community. We’re focused on investing in energy production in Colorado while increasing access to renewable energy for residents throughout the state.”
For every Wells Fargo employee who completes their Sunscription account set-up, US Solar will make a donation to Energy Outreach Colorado to further Energy Outreach Colorado’s mission of providing more sustainable energy options for low to moderate-income Colorado residents.
“I really like the ability to shift my monthly energy costs to solar energy without the expense and equipment to install solar on my house,” comments Clayton Sampson, lead commercial loan closing specialist with Wells Fargo and chair of the bank’s Colorado “Green Team.” “Wells Fargo’s partnership with US Solar got me priority access to this popular program. And the fact that there’s a guaranteed discount makes it a pretty easy decision in my mind.”