People can sign up this week to energize their homes from two prospective solar farms.

Freeport Climate Action Team and ReVision Energy of Portland will co-host a July 15 meeting, at the Freeport Community Library at 7 p.m. Sukie Rice, spokeswoman for Freeport Climate Action Team, said that two Freeport landowners are interested in hosting the solar farms, by allowing large solar panels to be installed on their properties.

As many as nine people can contract with ReVision per solar farm. The panels eliminate electrical costs, and pay for themselves in eight to 10 years.

“ReVision will introduce the sites and people can begin signing up,” Rice said. “The costs will be approximated at the time. The costs will depend on the number of sign-ups. There is a small annual ownership fee that everyone pays and that goes to the maintenance, insurance, land lease and a tiny amount for ReVision. It’s the same way a condo owner pays an annual fee to the association.”

Rice said the opportunity is meant for Freeport-area residents or businesses, but anyone can commit, because the energy generated at the farms goes into the Central Maine Power Co. grid.

“ReVision will sign the paperwork with the landowner,” she said. “ReVision is the installer and the interface between the people purchasing the panels and CMP. Everyone who becomes a farm shareholder purchases their share from ReVision, and gets the benefits on their CMP bill. Becoming part of a solar farm is an investment in the future. Like purchasing a home, it is a big investment to begin with, but it more than pays for itself in the long run. In fact the money you put into your solar panels is doubled in 25 years.”

Rice provided an example of how solar farms can save on energy costs.

“If I have 20 panels out of 200,” she said, “I own 10 percent of the farm. I then get credit for 10 percent of the energy production.”

Rice said that one of the landowners interested in hosting a solar farm has property on U.S. Route 1, and the other owns land on Pownal Road. Most solar farms have about 200 solar panels, she said.

ReVision has installed two solar farms, the first one at South Paris last year and the second one just recently in Edgecomb. Fortunat Mueller, part owner of the company, is enthused about the prospects of two more solar operations in Freeport.

Some people who want solar energy cannot have panels on their land because their rooftops or land are not situated correctly in relation to sun exposure.

“We’re really excited about the idea,” Mueller said. “We’ve talked to a number of homeowners and business owners who are excited about solar energy, but do not have a suitable site. We facilitate the transmission, but at the end of the day, the nine members of each solar farm collectively own the assets.”

Mueller said that the shareholders enter into long-term leases with the host, who typically receives $10-$15 per kilowatt, which amounts to about $700-$1,000 per year.

“It’s more income than you’re going to make haying the spot, but it’s not like you’re going to get more money than you would by putting a hotel there,” he said. “Typically, the landowner is interested in solar power. The landowner can sign up, too.”

It is possible that ReVision can break ground early this fall on solar panels to be installed at the solar farms, and installation only takes a few days, Mueller said.

Rice urges people who cannot attend Wednesday night’s meeting to contact her at 318-8531 or info@freeportcat.org or ReVision official Sue Jones at sue@revisionenergy.com.

Freeport Climate Action Team organized early this year, and has held meetings monthly. The group promotes solar energy as an alternative to the burning of fossil fuels.

“We know that we have to be reducing the use of fossil fuels in a very significant way for the health of the planet,” Rice said. “Countries are putting forth carbon emission goals. We need to do so in our personal lives, as well.”

ReVision Energy solar installers working on the Maine’s first community solar farm, located in South Paris. Courtesy photo