How to read the above solar production graph

Along the left side of the graph there are 5 black boxes:

POWER: This is the current output of the solar system. The kW Power will change, sometimes minute by minute. This number depends on how much sunshine or cloud cover there is and the overall performance of the array.

TODAY: This shows how many kWh’s have been produced by the community solar array today. You can click at the top of the page to see a graph of today, 5-day, week, month, year, or lifetime energy production.

THIS MONTH:  This shows how many mWh’s have been produced by the community solar array this month.

THIS YEAR: This shows how many mWh’s have been produced by the community solar array this calendar year.

LIFETIME:  This is a summary of all the energy produced from the community solar array minus the energy used to operate the system. If the solar field is not producing any energy it may need to draw power from the grid to run the tracking system and inverters.

Along the bottom of the graph you will see:

SYSTEM SIZE: It shows a 123 kW system. Keep in mind that solar power is produced in DC (direct current) but energy is consumed in our homes in AC (alternating current). So to get the 100 kW AC system output we wanted, we needed to build the system at about 123 kW DC size.

OPERATING SINCE:  11/8/16. This was when the system was initially energized. Official commercial operation began on 2/14/17 after all safety procedures were put in place and the testing was completed.

Along the right side of the graph you will see:

OUR IMPACT:  This will scroll automatically on the side of the page for the month or the lifetime of the system. You can toggle between the two lists. This shows us what producing electric energy locally from solar has saved us compared to using conventional fossil fuels.

Now, the question you might have is, “Great! Now, how do I know how much is mine?”

There are 400 subscription units in the community solar array. To calculate how much energy is in your portion, the first step is to divide the number of units you purchased by the 400 total.  So for example if you purchased the output from one unit, you would divide 1/400 which is .003 or .3%. If you purchased four units, divide 4/100 which is .010 or 1%. You take those numbers multiplied by the output for the day, week, or month to calculate what your share of the solar unit is. This energy will also appear on your monthly energy bill as a credit.

If you are a member of the cooperative and interested in purchasing the output of our community solar array, please call the office at 715-232-6240 and ask for Jesse. The cost of a unit is prorated based on how many months are left in the contract for production. The contract ends on January 31, 2042.