Richard Moody is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the first community solar array in Columbia County is now open for business. Owned by Hudson Solar, the 214 kilowatt facility on state Route 9G in Germantown is intended to provide service for customers unable to install solar panels on their own buildings. The array consists of 630 panels and will serve 30 National Grid customers throughout the Capital Region including Columbia County. “This is the first community solar array we have built and it is the first in Columbia County and it is the second one south of Albany,” Hudson Solar Founder and President Jeff Irish said. “Customers bought their own panels, which put power into the grid. We find customers will save the most this way.” Customers are expected to save 30 percent on their electricity costs over a 25-year period, Irish said. Irish said the company would definitely build another community solar array in the area, adding that he is actively looking for additional opportunities. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.