GoSolar Shares
Locally generated solar power
As a UniSource Energy Services customer, you can purchase solar power to cover some or all of your electrical needs. It's an easy and affordable way to reduce or eliminate your energy from conventional resources and use locally generated solar power.
Overview
Reserve your solar power blocks
The GoSolar Shares Program offers an easy and affordable way to meet your electric needs with locally generated solar power. As a UniSource customer, you now have the opportunity to purchase solar power in "blocks" of 150 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month.
You can buy some or all of your power through the program, reducing or eliminating your energy from conventional resources.
Features and benefits
- No up-front expenses or equipment maintenance costs
- Renewable energy option for renters and those customers whose rooftops are shaded by trees or nearby buildings
- Protection offered against future energy cost increases
- Surcharge exemption for solar energy purchases on renewable energy, fuel and purchased power
- Minimized carbon footprint and reliance on fossil fuels
- Clean, green renewable energy for an affordable price
Each block purchased will add $3.00 to your monthly electric bill. However, program blocks are exempt from two surcharges applied to other electric usage: the Renewable Energy Standard Tariff (REST) and the Purchased Power and Fuel Adjustment Clause (PPFAC), so your actual impact will be lower. Both surcharges are adjusted annually to reflect changing energy costs and other factors, so the benefit of avoiding them would increase over time if the surcharges rise.
Minimal cost
Solar power costs more than conventional energy derived from fossil-fueled power plants, so participating in the program will increase your electric bill. Each block replaces the charges for an equivalent amount of conventional power at a rate that currently adds $3.00 to your monthly bill.
Program rates must be paid in full each month regardless of actual energy consumption. If the solar energy purchased through the program exceeds actual usage during a monthly billing period, the excess is carried forward to the next billing period as a credit. Any credit remaining after the September billing period will be paid in full as a credit on the next bill.
How much sun can you handle?
GoSolar Shares lets you decide how much of your energy should come from UniSource's solar resources. The number of 150 kWh blocks you can buy is limited only by your energy usage.
To see how many you'd need to cover most or all of your electric needs, just divide your average monthly usage by 150 and round down to the nearest whole number. For example, a typical residential customer who uses 850 kWh per month could purchase up to 5 blocks each month (850/150=5.7, or 5 blocks). The table below shows some other examples for typical residential customers.
| Avg. Monthly kWh | Blocks needed | Block cost |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | 3 | $9.00 |
| 1,000 | 6 | $18.00 |
| 1,300 | 8 | $24.00 |
Who is eligible?
GoSolar Shares is available to most residential and commercial customers in UniSource's service territory.
The program is available to UniSource customers on the following three rate plans:
- Residential Service Rate (ERRES)
- Small General Service Rate (EGSGS)
- Medium General Service Rate (EGMGS)
Limited availability
UniSource will have a set number of blocks of solar energy available for purchase through GoSolar Shares. Once the program is fully subscribed, customers may be placed on a waiting list until new local solar resources become available.
Cancel anytime
You can purchase as many blocks as you want and cancel at any time. UniSource reserves the right to limit purchases based on customers' anticipated electric use and program availability. Participants can increase or decrease the number of blocks they're buying just once in a 12-month period.
Solar energy source
The first sources of solar power for GoSolar Shares were the 1.22 megawatt (MW) single-axis tracking PV array at La Senita Elementary School and the .5 MW solar array at Western Wind, both in Kingman. Other resources that have been added are Steven H. Jacobson Solar Facility, Black Mountain Solar , Red Horse, and Rio Rico.
Future demands would be met through new solar power systems located in UniSource’s service territory.