Solar for Everyone. But what is Community Solar?
A community solar garden provides electricity that is shared by multiple households and businesses. The public is offered an option to participate in the program by the local utility company and will enjoy the benefit of paying a lower price for their electricity via credits on their bill.
Community solar arrays, also referred to as solar gardens, provide access to a renewable energy program that benefits the community in multiple ways, including saving on energy bills, creating jobs and providing clean energy that reduces harmful carbon emissions. Households and businesses can participate without installing panels on their rooftops or property.
Affordable Electricity for Low and Middle-Income Communities
Since its founding in 2014, Solar Smart has placed a special priority on expanding the benefits of clean energy to low- and moderate-income households and communities. Through community solar, we work to provide participating families with electricity bill credits and meaningful savings of up to 30% off their present Utility bills without requiring them to install solar panels on their homes.
Our community solar projects are designed to help families reduce their electricity bills and benefit from locally produced clean energy without installing solar equipment on their homes. At a time when electricity costs are rising rapidly, Solar Smart remains committed to developing projects that ease the burden on household budgets and expand access to affordable, dependable clean energy.
Benefits
Certainly the most significant benefit of the Solar Smart Community Solar program is that it provides everyone an opportunity to lower their Utility bill. Many people that rent or live in homes not suitable for a solar installation now have a chance to participate in Community solar.
In addition businesses, government, institutions, schools and others all can subscribe to a Community Solar program in their local area and through their subscriptions customers will receive credits from the utility. This locally produced Community Solar power will lowering their utility bills and provide abundant, renewable, clean energy for many years into the future.
Additional benefits, including the following:
$$$ SAVINGS
Once a customers subscribes to a Community Solar program they will be provided credits that can be applied against their local Utility bill. This will have the net effect of lowering reducing the Utility bill by 5% to 15%.
PARTICIPATION
Many people that rent or live in homes not suitable for a solar installation now have a chance to participate in Community solar. In addition businesses, government, institutions, schools and others all can subscribe to a Community Solar program
LOCALLY PRODUCED ENERGY
Since Community Solar systems are now being developed with significant battery storage and are evenly distributed throughout the Utility territory they can offer a backup source of energy during emergencies.
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NO UPFRONT COST
In many cases and especially when rooftop solar is installed the homeowners is required to provide e a large upfront investment. With shared solar, most often, subscribers pay month-to-month for the energy produced by the array.
INVESTMENT & JOBS
The solar industry is a great joy creator and is creating employment faster than most other sectors of the economy. With the significant increase in investments, recent developments in battery storage and solar system designs solar is the future of energy.
CLEAN ENVIRONMENT
The Solar Smart program offers local communities an opportunity to provide clean, abundant, renewable energy to everyone. When customers subscribe, to community solar, they are reducing their reliance on fossil fuels, resulting in a smaller carbon footprint.