GO GREEN FOR LESS GREEN!
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In partnership with Spark Energy, Ampion is offering SCE customers a way to go green! As a part of SCE’s Community Renewables Program you can now sign up for the Sheep Creek Community Solar Farm, owned and operated by Catalyze, to receive clean power at no additional cost!*
*Based on the SCE default rate.
Have questions? Get in touch with us!
signup@ampion.net
(800) 277-3631
Why Ampion?
Help the planet
Joining Ampion is an easy way to help the environment by using solar energy to power communities like yours.
Save money
Thanks to your state's renewable energy incentive programs, Ampion members receive regular savings on their electricity bills.
No hassles, headaches or fees
Think of it as “solar as a service” — with no equipment to buy, install, maintain or worry about, you get to experience all the benefits of Community Solar without the hassles.
Available to all
Ampion is available to homeowners, renters and just about anyone who pays a utility bill, making it easy to take part in sustainable change and access real savings.
How Community Solar works
1
Sign up for free to become an Ampion member in as little as 5 minutes with your utility bill (to calculate your energy usage and savings)
2
Ampion matches you to a solar farm and assigns you a share of the Community Solar credits it generates based on your typical usage
3
The solar farm produces clean energy and delivers it to the grid, increasing the renewable energy available to your community and boosting sustainability
4
Community Solar credits are applied to your bill each month based on your share of the solar energy produced, reducing what you pay your utility
5
You pay for the Community Solar credits at a discounted rate, lowering your electricity bills and saving you money month after month
Public benefit corporation
Ampion’s mission is to make it easy for everyone to access clean, renewable energy. As a Public Benefit Corporation, our success is defined by how well we serve the greater good, not just the profits we earn.
Still have questions?
That’s ok, Community Energy is new to most people. Lots of our customers had questions before they signed up so we compiled a list of some of the most common questions below.
What are the Pricing, Terms & Conditions of a subscription?
Company: Catalyze Holdings (“Catalyze”)
Project Yield Co. Phelan Solar LLC
Enrollment Levels: Up to 120% of your historical usage
Whom should I contact for more information? Contact Ampion via email at help@ampion.net or by calling (800) 277-3631. Ampion is responsible for customer service and billing administration for the Sheep Creek Community Solar Farm.
How will I be billed? Your subscription to the Sheep Creek Community Solar Farm results in a monthly Community Renewables credit that appears as an individual line item on your SCE Energy Statement. Community Renewable credits and charges vary from month to month because they are calculated based on the size of your subscription and the solar farm’s monthly generation which fluctuate due to factors like weather. The Community Renewables credit and charge will only appear on your SCE Energy Statement after the solar facility becomes operational.
As a subscriber to the solar facility, you will continue to receive electricity from and remain a customer of SCE. Therefore, you will continue to receive a monthly SCE Energy Statement. In accordance with your signed customer developer agreement (CDA), you will receive a separate invoice statement from Ampion, on behalf of Catalyze Holdings, for your subscription specific to the Community Renewable bill credits applied to your SCE Energy Statement.
Relationship between Catalyze LLC and Ampion: Catalyze has contracted with Ampion to provide Customer Acquisition and Billing Management services. Ampion supports community solar farm owners by taking responsibility for marketing to and servicing community solar customers, but has no ownership of the farm. As part of Ampion’s services, customers will receive a monthly invoice from Ampion for the energy that is generated on their behalf by the Community Solar Farm. This invoice will be sent after the benefit of this generation appears on the customer’s SCE bill. Ampion is the customer service provider, and customers will contact Ampion with any questions, comments or concerns about their subscription.
The terms and conditions of the relationship between the customers and Ampion will be set forth in the Ampion Assignable Agreement, which will serve as the CDA.
How will my SCE bill be calculated? Your SCE bill will show a community renewables credit, which is determined based upon the number of kilowatt-hours (kWh) of renewable energy allocated to your utility account multiplied by the Community Renewables Rate, which is determined by SCE. This Community Renewables Credit will reduce the amount of your SCE utility invoice, but will be partly offset by Community Renewables Charges calculated and assessed by SCE to account for your involvement in the program.
How will my Ampion bill be calculated? Ampion will service your subscription on behalf of Catalyze. The Ampion invoice is calculated based upon the same number of kilowatt-hours (kWh) applied to your SCE invoice multiplied by the PPA Rate defined in your subscriber agreement.
How much will enrolling in the program cost? There is no fee to enroll in the program.
Will my rate change over time? Yes, your PPA rate will change over time according to the schedule provided upon enrollment and included in your customer developer agreement (CDA). The rate used to calculate the value of your Bill Credits will also change over time. 20-year projections and details are available from SCE at https://www.sce.com/residential/rates/standard-residential-rate-plan/green-rates. The utility rates may change annually based upon the ERRA filing and is subject to CPUC approval.
What is the process for terminating the contract and what is the early termination fee? There is no termination fee. For Residential customers you must provide ninety (90) days written notice in order to cancel. Commercial Customers must provide six months (180 days)’ written notice in order to cancel their subscription.
You will be responsible for payment of any Bill Credits that have been allocated to you but not otherwise paid for, i.e., Bill Credits that roll-over in excess of what has been applied to your utility invoice in previous months, as well as any additional allocated credits between the time you notify to cancel and the time the utility is able to process your removal from the subscription list.
You may provide written notice to help@ampion.net.
What length of agreement/contract is required? A 3 year, or 36 monthly billing cycles, minimum contract is required for residential customers. At the end of the term, this agreement will automatically renew for an additional 2 years, or 24 monthly billing cycles, and will continue to automatically renew unless you cancel.
For commercial customers, a 10 year, 120 monthly billing cycles, minimum contract is required. At the end of the term, this agreement will automatically renew for an additional 5 years, or 60 monthly billing cycles, and will continue to automatically renew unless you cancel.
Notwithstanding the term length of the agreement, you may cancel your subscription at any time at no cost with 90 day notice.
What other fees might I be charged? All credit and debit card transactions are subject to a convenience fee up to 3.5%, which will be calculated and provided on your invoice prior to your payment method being charged.
You may change your payment method to ACH in order to avoid this fee at any time by emailing Ampion at help@ampion.net.
Community Renewables Program Details: Catalyze is registered with SCE to have the Sheep Creek Community Solar Farm included in their Community Renewables Program. The Project has a Power Purchase Agreement in place with SCE, allowing the sale of power from the Sheep Creek Community Farm to both SCE as well as to SCE customers via a Customer-Developer Agreement (CDA). The Community Renewables Program is Green-e Energy certified, and meets the environmental and consumer-protection standards set forth by the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions. Under the California Enhanced Community Renewables program, renewable energy project developers take on the responsibility for marketing electricity product(s) directly to customers, who would normally receive this type of information from their utility. Green-e Energy provides third-party verification that the end customer receives accurate and sufficient disclosures. Green-e Energy also requires that product disclosures, such as the price that will be billed per unit (kWh) of power and the developer’s customer service contact information, be provided to purchasers within 60 days of sign-up in the form of a Welcome Packet. Customers will also receive an annual mailing that includes product information.
Sheep Creek PPA Status A PPA and Rider have been executed with SCE for the Sheep Creek Community Solar Farm allowing sale of energy from the facility to both SCE as well as SCE Customers via the Community Renewables Program.
Do you have any more information about the Sheep Creek Solar Farm
Catalyze’s 3.793 MWdc Sheep Creek Community Solar Farm is a Community Renewable Facility. Subscriptions to the Facility are offered to customers electing to participate in Southern California Edison Company’s (SCE’s) Community Renewables Program.
Customers subscribed to the Sheep Creek Community Solar farm will receive Community Renewables credits on their SCE Energy Statement. The credits they receive will be in proportion to the size of their subscription and will vary with monthly site production. Credits may not perfectly match consumption.
Customers will be charged separately for the Community Renewables bill credits provided on their SCE Energy Statement at the rate defined in their subscription agreement. Ampion PBC will be the billing party, working on behalf of Catalyze Holdings, the owner of the Sheep Creek solar farm.
In 2021, Sheep Creek Community Solar Farm will be made up of the following renewable resources:
Green-e Energy New Renewables in Sheep Creek Community Solar Farm (2021) 17799 Sheep Creek Road — El Mirage, CA 92301
Solar 100%
Total Green-E Energy Certified New Renewables 100%
To view, as a comparison, the current average mix of resources supplying SCE’s power customers, please visit SCE’s Power Content Label webpage http://www.energy.ca.gov/pcl/
In 2019, the average home used 10,649 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, an average of about 877 kWh per month for residential customers.
For specific information about this electricity product, please contact Ampion via email at help@ampion.net or by calling (800) 277-3631. Ampion is responsible for administering the Sheep Creek site on behalf of Catalyze.For more information Southern California Edison’s Community Renewables Program, please visit https://www.sce.com/partners/partnerships/community-choice-aggregation/Community-Renewables-Program?ecid=van_commrenew or contact Southern California Edison at 1-800-655-4555.
Learn more about Green-e Energy’s requirements for California utilities under Senate Bill 43 (SB43) at Learn more about Green-e Energy at www.green-e.org.
About Green-e® Energy and California’s ECR Program
The Sheep Creek Community Solar Farm has been accepted into SCE’s Community Renewables Program.
SCE’s Community Renewables Program is Green-e® Energy certified and meets the environmental and consumer-protection standards set forth by the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions. Under the California Enhanced Community Renewables (ECR) program, renewable energy project developers take on the responsibility for marketing electricity product(s) directly to customers, who would normally receive this type of information from the utility. Green-e® Energy provides third-party verification that the end customer receives accurate and sufficient disclosures.
Green-e® Energy is North America’s leading voluntary certification program for renewable energy. Since 1997, Green-e® Energy has certified renewable energy that meets environmental and consumer protection standards that it developed in conjunction with leading environmental, energy and policy organizations. Green-e® Energy requires that sellers of certified renewable energy disclose clear and useful information to potential customers, allowing customers to make informed choices.
Learn more at https://www.green-e.org/programs/energy/ca-ecr-customers.
What is the Green-e® Energy Certification Process?
The Community Renewables Program is Green-e® Energy certified, which means that the Program meets strict environmental and consumer protection standards set by the independent, non-profit Center for Resource Solutions. Green-e® Energy is North America’s leading voluntary certification program for renewable energy. For over a decade, Green-e® Energy has certified renewable energy that meets environmental and consumer protection standards that were developed in conjunction with leading environmental, energy and policy organizations. Green-e® Energy requires that sellers of certified renewable energy disclose clear and useful information to potential customers, allowing consumers to make informed choices.
- All marketing materials are pre-screened by Southern California Edison (SCE).
- Both SCE and Catalyze abide by applicable sections of the Green-e® Code of Conduct: Code of Conduct Sections IV.E (excluding E.2), IV.F (excluding F.1.e and F.1.f). https://www.green-e.org/docs/energy/Green-e%20Energy%20Code%20of%20Conduct.pdf
- An auditor, paid by SCE, reviews all supply and sales associated with the SCE’s certified product to ensure that the product complies with the Green-e® Energy National Standard (https://www.green-e.org/docs/energy/Green-e%20Standard%20v3.1%20US.pdf).
- SCE works with the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) to ensure that required language was sent to customers, providing verification that consumers are fully informed about the nature of the product they are purchasing.
- CRS reviews the marketing material, customer enrollment materials, and annual mailing documents for accuracy based on the Green-e® Energy National Standard requirements, the Green-e® Energy Code of Conduct requirements, and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules.
Contact Green-e® Energy for more information: ecr@green-e.org, or call 415-561-2100.
By engaging in this program, you may be eligible to enroll in Green-e® for Businesses and Products. Green-e® for Businesses and Products is committed to helping Green-e® Energy customers tell their sustainability stories. For over a decade, Green-e® has been working with leading companies and products that use renewable energy and equipping them with recognition, promotional, and communication tools to market their sustainability efforts to customers and stakeholders. Green-e® currently certifies companies, facilities, products, electric vehicles, printing and paper supply, and events. For more information on Green-e®’s business and marketing solutions email marketplace@green-e.org or call 415-561-2100.
For more information regarding SCE’s Enhanced Community Renewables (ECR), visit Community Renewables Program.
Under the Enhanced Community Renewables program, the customer will sign up for either 100%, 50% of power used, or blocks of 100kWh through Catalyze’s third-party service provider, Ampion PBC. In turn, Southern California Edison (SCE) has signed a contract with Catalyze to purchase the output from the facility. The customer will receive a bill from Ampion for their portion of the facility output, as outlined in the Customer-Developer Agreement. The customer will continue to receive a bill from Southern California Edison that includes a credit associated with the renewable solar energy they are purchasing from Catalyze, via Ampion, as well as charges for program participation.
To view Catalyze’s Product Content Label, please click on link: Catalyze Product Content Label.
Where can I find the disclosure agreement?
You can access the disclosure agreement at www.ampion.net/sce-disclosure.
What are the program rates?
The rate you pay will be based on your current rate class and are outlined below.
Domestic Rate Class
For Domestic Rate class (residential customers) it is a varying escalator. Under this tariff the rate will match SCE's forecasted Default rate for 20 years. See table below for the Catalyze PPA rates in the first 3 years of your contract. Green-e® does not verify the accuracy of the cost savings statements as they apply to specific customers but instead requires that full information and methodology be disclosed to customers.
Year – Catalyze PPA Rate $/kWh*
- 2021 – $ 0.0474
- 2022 – $ 0.0485
- 2023 – $ 0.0492
GS1 Rate Classes
For GS1 Rate class (commercial customers) it is a fixed price with a 4% escalator per year. Under this tariff, the PPA rate you will receive will reflect savings vs. the SCE default rate. See table below for Catalyze PPA rates in the first 10 years of contract.
Pricing Methodology: Savings are calculated by comparing SCE’s forecasted credits published June 2021 with Catalyze’s projected rates. The SCE credit will be applied to a customer's standard scheduled rates for electricity services. Any savings are the result of the difference between the credit received from SCE and the price paid to Catalyze. Savings are subject to change based on credit adjustments by SCE with CPUC approval. Green-e® does not verify the accuracy of the cost savings statements as they apply to specific customers but instead requires that full information and methodology be disclosed to customers.
Year – Catalyze PPA Rate $/kWh*
- 2021 – $ 0.056000
- 2022 – $ 0.058240
- 2023 – $ 0.060570
- 2024 – $ 0.062992
- 2025 – $ 0.065512
- 2026 – $ 0.068133
- 2027 – $ 0.070858
- 2028 – $ 0.073692
- 2029 – $ 0.076640
- 2030 – $ 0.079705
GS2 Rate Classes
For GS2 Rate class (commercial customer) it is a fixed price with a 4% escalator per year. Under this tariff, the PPA rate you will receive will reflect savings vs. the SCE default rate. See table below for Catalyze PPA rates in the first 10 years of contract.
Pricing Methodology: Savings are calculated by comparing SCE’s forecasted credits published June 2021 with Catalyze’s projected rates. The SCE credit will be applied to a customer's standard scheduled rates for electricity services. Any savings are the result of the difference between the credit received fromSCE and the price paid to Catalyze. Savings are subject to change based on credit adjustments by SCE with CPUC approval. Green-e® does not verify the accuracy of the cost savings statements as they apply to specific customers but instead requires that full information and methodology be disclosed to customers.
Year – Catalyze PPA Rate $/kWh*
- 2021 – $ 0.052
- 2022 – $ 0.054
- 2023 – $ 0.056
- 2024 – $ 0.058
- 2025 – $ 0.061
- 2026 – $ 0.063
- 2027 – $ 0.066
- 2028 – $ 0.068
- 2029 – $ 0.071
- 2030 – $ 0.074
*Catalyze’s PPA rate does not include taxes, billing and collection costs, and administrative costs from SCE.
Will my electric company change?
No. Your current utility will still service your account and deliver energy to your home or business. Any energy consumption that isn’t covered by your energy credits will be paid to the utility at their price.
What does it cost to join?
There is no cost to join our community solar program. You will receive a monthly invoice for the energy credits, produced by your solar farm and applied to your utility bill, at a discounted rate.
What happens if I move?
If you are moving to a residence that is still in the area of eligibility, you can take your subscription with you! As long as you reside in the same utility service territory, you can continue to be a part of your project.
Where can I sign up?
You can start enrolling here. The sign up process takes about five minutes and you will need a copy of your electric bill.