Flathead Electric Cooperative plans construction this summer for Whitefish solar project

Flathead Electric Cooperative plans to begin construction in Whitefish early this summer on its third community solar project. 

The solar project is being developed in partnership with the city of Whitefish. The photovoltaic facility will be located near the Whitefish wastewater treatment plant as part of a plan approved by the Whitefish City Council last year based on the city’s Climate Action Plan that calls for the development of a solar project at the plant along Monegan Road.

The city is leasing the land to FEC in exchange for generation from a panel in the project, which will offset the electricity use at the plant. FEC will manage and maintain the facility.

“We have benefited from a great partnership with FEC to bring about this solar PV project that will benefit our community into the future,” said Karin Hilding, Whitefish engineering and sustainability project manager.

FEC received a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy Program for America program for $495,535 to help fund the solar project. It also received a $50,000 grant from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

Grant agreements require FEC to maintain ownership of the panels, but the electricity generated from the Community Solar III will be for sale to members of the co-op this spring to offset their electric bills. Those sales will cover 100% of the project costs remaining after grant funds, according to a release. 

Katie Pfennigs, community relations manager for the co-op, said the grant funds help make solar generation more affordable for co-op members who are interested in solar technology. 

“And the community solar model offers an option for members who may not otherwise be able to purchase panels — maybe because they rent or because they don’t have a suitable location at their home or business for solar generation,” Pfennigs said. 

The co-op relies primarily on federal hydropower obtained through the Bonneville Power Administration, which results in the area’s already 97% carbon-free power mix.

“While the project does not materially change the carbon footprint of Whitefish or of those who buy a share in the project, it does offer a unique opportunity for co-op members to offset their electricity purchases with locally generated power,” Pfennigs noted. 

The co-op’s first community solar project is located along Whitefish Stage Road completed in 2015 and its second is on one of the co-op's buildings on Terry Road completed in 2019. 

THE SOLAR project in Whitefish will feature over 400 solar panels capable of cumulatively generating 200 kilowatts (kW) of carbon-free electricity. The co-op is also pairing the solar array with a 200kW utility-scale battery to capture the energy produced. The battery will mostly be charged by the solar panels but can also be charged by the grid when needed.

Ashley Keltner, distributed energy resource specialist for the co-op, and lead staffer on the project noted that in a growing area like the Flathead Valley which has a lack of transmission line capacity to deliver electricity, all grid generation is welcome. Solar generation is generally not available when the area needs it most — for example, at 7 a.m. on a dark, cloudy January morning when it’s minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit. 

“Having utility-scale batteries to capture the energy generated by the solar panels and allow it to be deployed to the grid when it is needed turns this project into a much more valuable resource for the co-op,” said Keltner. 

The battery may also be used to reduce the co-op's customer system peaks by adding electricity onto the grid during peak times, which typically occur between 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. This practice would benefit all members of the co-op by reducing the peak charges FEC pays to BPA on its wholesale power bill, the co-op notes. 

The battery will be the first of its kind in Northwest Montana and will allow the co-op to better understand how utility-scale batteries can enhance the reliability of variable energy resources such as solar and wind. 

The co-op's two existing community solar projects do not have batteries. 

PRAISING THE grant funding, Kathleen Williams, USDA Rural Development State Director for Montana, said it’s an investment that represents the heart of the work at USDA Rural Development.

"It incorporates community-driven solutions, the advancement of emerging battery storage technology, enhances energy reliability, allows community members to be part of renewable energy generation, and saves customers money,” Williams said in a release. “We at USDA Rural Development are honored to be a partner in this innovative work." 

Technology improvements have resulted in lower-cost solar panels with double the generating capacity available in Community Solar III compared to the co-op's prior community solar projects. 

The co-op expects the final purchase price to be around $700 for each 580-watt panel, projected to generate 700 kWh of electricity per year each. On-bill financing will be available for qualified members. 

Residential co-op members who purchase the output from one panel would likely expect a reduction on their electric bill of between $40 and $70 per year. Solar generation varies widely each month due to seasonal weather conditions, and solar project owners should expect their actual monthly generation and bill credits to fluctuate accordingly, the co-op notes.

Members who are interested in purchasing generation from the Whitefish community solar project when it becomes available should put their name on the interest list on the co-op’s website at https://tinyurl.com/tnrkzwru.