Switch-to-Solar
Countering your carbon emissions with Switch-to-Solar directly benefits the growth of solar in Wisconsin, and makes a shift toward cleaner air and water.
Reduce your carbon footprint
Counter your:
personal carbon footprint
home energy use
commute or travel
or one-time events!
Solar Renewable Energy Certificates
What are Solar RECs?
Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (sRECs) represent the absence of carbon emissions and all other benefits of solar energy generation. When a subscriber retires an sREC, they are incentivizing a WI-based solar producer who is generating solar electricity, these producers are nonprofits or citizens that went solar. More solar incentives means more local solar projects in WI.
When power is generated through solar, one sREC is created for every megawatt hour of electricity. Trading and retiring sRECs adds value to solar adoption by allowing a producer to benefit from both electrical bill savings, and valuable certificates that enter the market for pollution reduction.
We all need to power the lights, appliances, devices, and vehicles in our lives, both at home and at work. If you live in WI, the majority of your grid electricity sill comes from coal. When installing solar panels isn’t an option, consider our S2S program which will bring the benefits of solar power into our communities and homes. Retiring sRECs with our S2S program accelerates the transition from fossil fuels to renewables and is an accessible way to support solar resources.
Why choose the S2S program through Legacy Solar Co-op?
- Transparency, know when/where your sRECs were generated
- Local Solar Marketplace: Wisconsin’s first marketplace for sRECs – no far away wind or hydro
- Support local organizations with extra income from selling their RECs
- Midwest Sustainability and grid security
- Decarbonization: Incentive programs like S2S directly relate to divesting from coal
- Monopoly free: voluntarily produced, switching the grid to a renewable source
Subscription Options
Calculating Your Energy Usage and Carbon Footprint
To calculate what size subscription is right for you, check your most recent utility bill. Look at your monthly total kWh consumed. That is your household energy use.
You may consider a larger subscription to include activities not reflected in your utility bill, such as travel. Check out the estimator below or on the purchase sRECs page to help you assess the right amount for you.
Switch My Home Energy Usage: Pick a subscription based on the number of kilowatts your home consumes monthly.
$5 = 250 kWh/month
$15 =750 kWh/month
$20 = 1000 kWh/month
$25 =1250 kWh/month
Counter Your Carbon Footprint: Calculate your carbon footprint and counter that amount.
See below for an estimator of common activities. After estimating your carbon footprint, click subscribe and pick the closest amount.
Customize your Switch 2 Solar: Are you hosting an event like a conference or a wedding? Would you like to counter the carbon emissions from that event? How about that flight to Hawaii you are planning. Would you like to counter the CO2 emitted through that event? No matter the event type or size, please contact us and we’d be happy to provide an estimate and help you counter the carbon from any activity!
How to Estimate Your Carbon Footprint
If you have additional questions, or would like a detailed carbon calculation, please contact us at elise@legacysolarcoop.org or by calling 608-571-4992.
Together we are making a difference!
The average American’s carbon footprint is 15 tonnes annually, more than double the global average of 6.4. You create a positive legacy when you reduce your carbon footprint with S2S. We help you track your impact with summaries of your carbon score. We make it easy for you to protect the environment and promote solar renewable energy projects.
Metric tonnes of CO2 countered
sRECs purchased from WI producers
Kilowatt hours sold
What Legacy Solar Co-op sREC subscribers are saying
The good news is that by purchasing Solar Renewable Energy [Certificates] (RECs) through Legacy Solar Cooperative’s “Switch to Solar” program, you can offset most, if not all, of your energy usage for a surprisingly low price. You’ll directly support your neighbor’s solar installations while simultaneously giving yourself a cleaner carbon footprint.
If you are already using MGE’s Green Power Tomorrow, consider switching to “Switch to Solar,” where 100% of the power comes from solar rather than 1% of the power.
“I subscribed to the co-op’s Switch 2 Solar Program because I wasn’t quite ready to explore putting solar on our roof and actually, wasn’t sure I could afford it. This option was much more tangible and something I could act on immediately. I can now proudly say that my solar energy comes from a solar installation in my community that Legacy helped install. This to me is different than just purchasing energy credits online somewhere and brings it to the local level.”
“After tackling my plastic consumption, I was ready to take on all aspects of my carbon footprint. I’m often commuting for work and have my groceries delivered, so I wanted to calculate the impact of these habits. I subscribe to the lower impact program, and I look forward to continuing the legacy of solar in Wisconsin. One major switch that needs to happen to combat the climate crisis is switching to a renewable grid. With Legacy Solar Co-op, I know I’m part of building that future for Wisconsin.”
I chose Legacy’s Switch-to-Solar program over other carbon offset instruments because it gets at the carbon footprint issue in two ways: 1. Each solar project developed by Legacy generates clean energy; and 2. Specifically supporting solar projects helps to displace demand for power that would otherwise be produced by fossil fuel-burning power plants. I also appreciate that Legacy focuses on solar projects within my own state.
Keep in Touch
Legacy Solar Cooperative of Wisconsin is committed to assisting the growth of solar electricity through consultation, financing, and group purchases. Membership is open to individuals, non-profits, and commercial organizations.
