SunnyOak is Oakdale Electric Cooperative's 200kW community solar garden. The solar garden is located south of the Whistling Wings substation on State Road 80 in Necedah, Wisconsin. SunnyOak went into operation in June of 2017 and is built on the same site as the Dairyland Power Cooperative 1.5 Megawatt solar array.
Engie (bought out SoCore) owns and operates the solar garden. Oakdale Electric Cooperative and its wholesale power provider, Dairyland Power Cooperative, purchase the energy output. SunnyOak FAQs
This renewable energy project provides clean solar power to help meet the energy demands of Wisconsin and our local co-op membership. Oakdale Electric Cooperative started SunnyOak Community Solar Garden for members interested in a viable and affordable option to purchase renewable solar energy on a voluntary basis.
Community Solar FAQs
Step 1: Complete the Community Solar Eligibility Worksheet
Step 2: Return to Energy Services Director Todd O'Neil.
You must sign a Solar Subscription Agreement and make a one-time payment for a subscription unit(s) in the amount of $500 per unit. Financing will be available at Oakdale Credit Union (OCU) for qualifying members. Contact OCU at 608-372-3939 for more information.
A subscription unit is the equivalent of one solar panel of electricity producing capacity. Oakdale Electric Cooperative's solar garden is comprised of 792 solar panels.
Yes. The subscribing member must have an account in good standing with Oakdale Electric Cooperative.
Yes. Residential members are limited to a number of subscription units projected to annually generate up to 75% of their previous year's electricity usage. Commercial or Industrial members are limited to a number of subscription units projected to annually generate up to 50% of their previous year's electricity usage.
Each unit has so far produced approximately 415 kWh annually, but that is not guaranteed. Energy production will vary based on total sunshine and time of year.
Payment will be solely in the form of a credit against your electric bill. Any kilowatt hour output for the unit will be credited at the residential retail rate. For example: if your energy bill shows you are paying 11.40 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) and your unit produces 40 kilowatt hours, your bill will be credited $0.114 X 40 = $4.56.
You will receive the energy output of that unit for the remainder of the 25-year-project term that began in June of 2017.
No, as a member you are not purchasing solar panels, you are purchasing the subscription units of the output of the solar garden for the life of the project.
Subscribers will have four options:
- Sell the subscription unit(s) back to the cooperative.
- Keep the subscription unit(s) with the existing home if the new member wants to purchase it.
- Sell (or give) the subscription unit(s) to another qualified member that is already served by the cooperative.
- Transfer the subscription unit(s) to another one of your Oakdale Electric Cooperative accounts.
No. The project retains the tax credit and that is calculated into the price for the energy.