COMMUNITY SOLAR CO-OPERATIVES
PROJECT SUMMARY
AGRIS Solar Co-operative and the Green Energy Co-operative of Ontario (GECO), are farmer and community-owned solar energy co-operatives that own roughly 15 megawatts of generating assets over 250 project sites across Ontario (including 20 of the novel Solar Garden).
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The Red Jar team founded and continue to manage and operate these community co-operatives. We pioneered and developed a turn-key solution for members of the co-operative to participate in the Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) and the micro-FIT program to generate renewable energy and earn profits. The co-operatives currently maintain a membership of over 1,000 agricultural, rural and community landowners.
THE IMPACT
The solar garden concept emerged as an innovative response to a critical challenge: hundreds of property owners had been approved for small solar installations but, due to technical constraints, were unable to connect to the local grid.
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Developing this solution required a unique blend of technical, business, and financial expertise to navigate complex regulatory frameworks, technical limitations, and political challenges. The result was a bespoke, win-win-win model that ensured the benefits of the project remained with the local individuals involved.
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The Red Jar founding team collaborated closely with financial and energy regulators to aggregate the generating assets and strategically locate them where grid connection was feasible. By addressing these real and high-impact challenges with creativity and determination, the solar garden concept became a groundbreaking approach to community-focused renewable energy solutions.
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Contact AGRIS:
