Politics & Government
Council Green-Lights New Solar Farms, Opening Additional Spots
With no upfront cost or solar panel installation, demand has soared for community solar — a win for consumers and the local environment.
Community solar projects (also known as solar farms) are having a moment. Consumers have started signing up for projects at high rates, prompting recent approval to launch new solar farms to meet the demand.
“The newly-launched community solar projects will make it even easier for residents to make a positive impact and save money on their own electricity bills,” said John Gingrich, who oversees the EnergySage Community Solar Marketplace— a free-to-use site that allows consumers to compare different solar farms and subscribe to the one they want. “These solar farms are incredibly customer-friendly — no upfront cost, pay as you go, no cancellation fees, etc. It’s an exciting time for solar.”
How Community Solar Works
When you join a local solar farm, you subscribe to a share of the solar energy generated by the solar panels, and that translates into credits that you receive on your electric bill. The community solar company, whose projects are reviewed and approved by your local power company, sell you the energy at a discount (typically ~10 percent or more) so that you pay less than what you’d otherwise pay your utility company for electricity.
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Much like your local community shared agriculture farm, you pay to support the farm, but also reap the benefits of the harvest, which, in this case, includes both financial savings and bringing clean power to your community!
*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.
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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 percent 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: 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.
One important similarity between community solar and green power is that you keep your electric company in both instances. Your local power company will continue to work to keep the lights on and provide power to your home or business.
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? No, most community solar subscriptions are free to sign up for.
- How much will I save after subscribing? Review the discounts offered by each solar farm to see which is the best. You might find some with gift cards and other incentives that only add to your savings.
- 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.
Rewards Are Now Included
To help spread the word about the highly impactful and sustainable solar farm projects, EnergySage has also started a Solar Rewards Program, which gives consumers $100 for every customer they refer that goes solar on EnergySage or subscribes to a community solar project. Even the customer that signs up gets a reward ($25) as well, a win-win! To sign up for the Solar Rewards Program, click here.