Washington DC Solar Farms Go Live, Quickly Approach Capacity

This is a paid post contributed by a Patch Community Partner. The views expressed in this post are the author's own, and the information presented has not been verified by Patch.

Making the switch to renewable energy hasn’t always been easy: companies offering green power plans often charge a price premium for customers trying to do the right thing, and installing a home solar panel system can come with its own set of barriers (like difficult roof structures, shade from trees, upfront costs, and more).

But in recent weeks, several solar farms have launched, which means it’s now far easier for Washington DC residents to support renewable energy and save money on electricity bills. Demand has quickly convinced many developers to start building additional supply. Welcome to the new normal of community solar.

How community solar works

When you join a solar farm near Washington DC, you agree to purchase a share of energy generated by the solar panels*. The community solar company that owns this farm will sell you the energy at a discount (typically ~10%) so that you pay less than what you’d otherwise pay your utility company for electricity.

Each month, your utility company will apply credits for this energy to your electric bill, reducing how much you owe them. While your community solar savings will vary month to month, you can expect to save 5-15% on your annual electricity bills through your subscription.

*Note: since the energy does not go directly into your home, companies use a bill crediting system to pay you for the value of the energy produced from your share.

Community solar ≠ green power plans

Most of us have experienced someone knocking on the door asking if we want to sign up for “green power”...let’s set the record straight: this is not community solar. And when given the choice between the two, community solar is usually the better option for a few reasons:

• With community solar, you can save up to 15% on your annual electricity bills: many green power plans charge a premium for renewable energy. On the other hand, most community solar companies offer a discount for any energy you buy from a solar farm.
• Community solar supports local renewable energy development: your subscription promotes solar growth in your area and provides the buy-in developers need to build additional projects, helping to further decarbonize your community’s electricity grid. In comparison, green power plans often source electricity from existing, pre-built projects.
• Community solar encourages job growth in Washington DC: when you subscribe to a local community solar farm, you’ll know exactly where your energy credits come from. The company that builds and maintains this solar farm may employ your neighbors or other members of your community. This is decidedly different from green power plans that often rely on different renewable energy projects spread across the country.

The first step to joining a community solar farm

If you looked into community solar in the past, you should know that options today are much more flexible than they used to be. Most subscriptions don’t require a long-term contract, allow you to sign up for free, and make it easy to cancel when you want to. Despite the low risk, it’s still a good idea to do a bit of homework when joining a community solar farm.

Here are some questions to ask before signing up, and factors to consider when comparing one community solar offer to the next:

• Where is the solar farm located? The more local, the better!
• Does it cost anything to sign up? Most community solar subscriptions are free to sign up for.
• How much will I save after subscribing? Take a look at how much you’ll be paying for the solar energy, and how that compares to what you pay your utility company.
• Is it easy to cancel my subscription? Like we said, most community solar programs allow you to cancel for free, but some may require a minimum cancellation notice or charge a small early termination fee.
• What happens if I move? If you’re moving close by and the same utility company provides electricity for your new home, you may be able to transfer your subscription!
• Any promotions available? Some companies offer special sign-up rewards for new customers, like e-gift cards.
• More FAQs

In response to the explosion of options, several companies have launched marketplaces to compare and explore the different solutions; the leading marketplace is EnergySage’s Community Solar Marketplace.

This is a paid post contributed by a Community Partner, a local brand partner. To learn more, click here.