Our North Mount Carroll Community Solar Array project is fully subscribed!
If you would like to have your name on a waiting list to be contacted if any of the subscriptions become available in the future, please complete an interest form.
The North Mount Carroll Solar Array is one of two projects JCE worked on with Bluestem Energy Solutions. The other, the Apple Canyon Lake project, is also fully subscribed.
The solar array program offers potential savings on electric bills. Members pay a monthly subscription fee and receive credits on a per kilowatt (kWh) basis. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time.
Eligibility requirements include:
- Must be a JCE member with electric service in Districts 1-9
- Must be a single-phase account
- Must not already have solar (Rate 13)
- Have 12 months of historical electric consumption
- Members with less than 12 months of historical electricity consumption can submit interest to gain a spot on the waitlist to be contacted when all requirements ahve been met and a subscription becomes available.
Availability of subscriptions is limited. The North Mount Carroll Community Solar project is a 498 kilowatt (KW) alternating current (AC) array located in Carroll County.
ACL Community Solar
Our Apple Canyon Lake Community Solar project is fully subscribed!
If you would like to have your name on a waiting list to be contacted if any of the subscriptions become available in the future, please complete an interest form.
Members pay a monthly subscription fee per kWh of production to enroll and receive credits on a per kWh basis (please refer to policy). View Policy here.
Subscriptions are for 2.5 kW blocks, with up to two subscriptions per member (depending on use), not to be split between meters or locations. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time.
Eligibility requirements include:
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Residential, single-phase accounts
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Power must be supplied by Dairyland Power Cooperative (Districts 1-9)
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Member does not already have solar (Rate 13)
- Have 12 months of historical electric consumption
- Members with less than 12 months of historical electricity consumption can submit interest to gain a spot on the waitlist to be contacted when all requirements ahve been met and a subscription becomes available.
This community solar project is made possible due to renewable energy credit (REC) sales through the “Illinois Shines”, the state-administered Adjustable Block Program. Read more about the program at the link below.
The community solar farm was by independent developer, Bluestem Energy Solutions. Bluestem owns and operates the project long term. JCE will purchase 100 percent of the power from the solar farm for the 25-year expected life of the project.
More information: communitysolar@jocarroll.com or read more in our Community Solar FAQs
This program is independent of the existing Southview Solar Farm due to specific requirements from the state.
Community Solar FAQs
To enroll, the member and location must meet the requirements below:
- Residential and small commercial, single-phase only services
- Served by Dairyland Power as the generation provider (Districts 1-9)
- Not already have member-owned renewables behind the meter (billed as rate 13)
- Have 12 months of historical electric consumption
- Members can submit interest at any time but the appropriate level of subscription is determined on the last 12 months recorded electricity consumption. Without that information subscriptions are possible over- or undersized. The available subscription sizes are based on annual production per kW block.
- Members with less than 12 months of historical electricity consumption can submit interest to gain a spot on the waitlist to be contacted when all requirements have been met and a subscription becomes available.
Subscriptions are being made available in 1.0-, 2.5-, 5.0-, 7.5- or 10.0-kW blocks. No more than 5.0 kW may be subscribed per member for residential services. No more than 10.0 kW may be subscribed per small commercial member.
A member may sign up for any defined level of subscription as long as their annual consumption equals or exceeds the expected annual production of the subscription level.
Estimated gross annual production is calculated using the following:
Subscribed kW x 8,760 Annual Hours x 24% Capacity Factor = Estimated Annual Production
(kWh)
1.0Subscribed kW x 8,760 Hours / year / x 24% Capacity Factor ≈ 2,100 kWh produced annually
You can submit interest by clicking on the blue button above and completing the interest form.
If you have questions after visiting this site, please email community solar@jocarroll.com
Due to high interest, we have created and are maintaining a waiting list of members who have submitted interest. The wait list is based on the date of interest submission. Your interest submission will be reviewed for eligibility and put on the waitlist. Members on the waitlist will be contacted when a subscription block becomes available. Offered subscription block are based on each member's historical 12-month electricity consumption. If you have any questions regarding community solar offered by Jo-Carroll Energy, please contact John Scott at 800-858-5522, ext. 1339 or email communitysolar@jocarroll.com.
If you remain in Jo-Carroll Energy's service territory, and move to an eligible location, we will provide a seamless transfer from your prior service location to your new one.
You have the right to assign the subscription to another member if you wish and JCE will assist you with processing the transfer. There are no fees associated with this transfer.
No. The existing meter at your house will support your subscription.
No. Due to the limited quantity of subscriptions available, the community solar project is only open to those who do not already have their own solar, allowing those who cannot install solar due to zoning or association rules, poor geographical location, or rental property the opportunity to support local-generated renewable energy.
No. Subscriptions are handled as virtual net metered accounts and any generation credits are to be credited to one location as specified in your subscription contract.
Yes, any excess generation is carried forward through the customer selected annual anniversary date, either April or November. The credits reset to zero on the anniversary date.
The difference between the total of the energy and generation charge and your subscription rate, which is defined in Jo-Carroll Energy's Virtual Net Metering Rate Rider, Policy. No. 750.
Under current rate structures (effective Sept. 1, 2020) the member will be credited or debited as follows for every kWh their system produces over a production month. The net of these values multiplied by the kWh will be shown on the billing statement:
A credit for their Energy Charge @ -$0.03655 per kWh
A credit for their Generation Charge @ -$0.04297 per kWh
A subscription charge @ +$0.065 per kWh
Net result -$0.01452 per kWh credit based on the current subscription rate of $0.065 per kWh through October 2025.