SunShare, the company with whom Olivet is signing a 25 year community solar garden, will host aninformational session at Olivet on Oct. 24, at 10am open to members, friends, and neighbors of Olivet.   Solar gardens work much the way installing panels on your roof work only the panels are out in the country and you do not need to put any money down.  You make monthly payments to SunShare for the electricity your panels in the community garden produce and then Xcel gives credit off your electricity bill for that electricity.  At the outset your credits are 5% higher than what you pay SunShare.   However, each year your SunShare rate goes up by 2.75%.  Though no one can predict the future, Xcel’s rates historically have averaged around 4% a year and few if any expect that pattern to change.  What if you move?  You can take your subscription with you if you remain in Xcel’s service area or you can transfer or sell your subscription.