{"id":5013,"date":"2015-08-15T19:02:32","date_gmt":"2015-08-15T23:02:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/?page_id=5013"},"modified":"2023-07-11T23:24:54","modified_gmt":"2023-07-12T03:24:54","slug":"community-solar-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/community-solar-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Community Solar &#8211; New Solar Option for Electric Customers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Solar-Farm-from-Pixabay.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-12786 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Solar-Farm-from-Pixabay-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Solar-Farm-from-Pixabay-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Solar-Farm-from-Pixabay-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Solar-Farm-from-Pixabay-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Solar-Farm-from-Pixabay-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Solar-Farm-from-Pixabay-560x315.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Solar-Farm-from-Pixabay-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Solar-Farm-from-Pixabay.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>What is Community Solar?<\/h3>\n<p>Don&#8217;t have a good roof for solar? Or do you rent rather than own? If you would like to take advantage of solar energy for your home, but cannot due to shading, orientation, roof structure or financial considerations, there is now another way.\u00a0 Community Solar is an option for those who are interested in solar electricity but can&#8217;t have solar panels installed at their own house or apartment. Sometimes called a &#8220;solar garden&#8221; or &#8220;solar farm,&#8221; a community solar facility is a large, centralized solar power array. Electric utility customers in the same electricity &#8220;load zone&#8221; as the array are eligible to participate, whether they live in a house, condo, or apartment. This is a way to support solar energy while at the same time getting a savings on your utility bill.<\/p>\n<h3>How does it work?<\/h3>\n<h3>Non-Ownership Models:<\/h3>\n<p>Massachusetts allows the development of \u201cCommunity Solar Farms\u201d to make solar energy available to any home.\u00a0 Conceptually, it works like this.\u00a0 A solar developer teams up with a solar construction company to build a large solar array (up to 5 Megawatts) on private land.\u00a0 The solar farms can be located anywhere in the territory serviced by the home\u2019s utility company (eastern MA for Needham Eversource customers).\u00a0 The solar company then signs up customers to purchase the power that is generated.\u00a0 The customers typically buy the power at a discount compared to what they would otherwise pay to Eversource.\u00a0 The discount varies according to each community solar company, but typically amounts to 7% &#8211; 12.5%.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s how it works for you as a community solar customer:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You are assigned a fixed percent of the farm&#8217;s output, based on your historical power consumption and cost.\u00a0 The goal is to allocate each customer a portion of the solar output that will offset 100% of their annual electric costs.<\/li>\n<li>Your electrical service will not be any different. Eversource is still responsible for servicing community solar customers.\u00a0 Any problems with your electric power are addressed by Eversource.<\/li>\n<li>You will receive <u>two<\/u> monthly bills &#8211; one from Eversource and one from the community solar company.<\/li>\n<li>Since the electricity generated by a solar farm and the electricity you use varies from month to month, in any given month you may pay more or less than you did previously. However, over the course of an entire year, the net cash value you receive from the solar production (which will show up as a credit on your Eversource bill) should offset enough of the amount you paid for electricity to produce a net savings to you equivalent to the 7% &#8211; 12.5% discount.<\/li>\n<li>Finally, please note that the solar power generated by your allocation does not specifically go to your house, but rather goes directly into the power grid.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In summary, with Community Solar:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your home is now &#8220;solar powered,&#8221; in the sense that solar power is being fed into the grid to match the electricity you use.<\/li>\n<li>Annual cost for your electricity will be less than your existing Eversource bill.<\/li>\n<li>You pay nothing to join the community solar farm.<\/li>\n<li>No construction is required at your home.<\/li>\n<li>A typical contract is 20 years, with an ability to transfer it to another home if you move within your utility&#8217;s same service territory.<\/li>\n<li>Cancellation policies are spelled out in the contracts offered by each company.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In order to become a member of a community solar farm, you will need to sign a contract with the community solar company.\u00a0 As with any contract, read the terms carefully, including the length of the contract, whether there is a cancellation fee, how much notice must be given for cancellation, and whether the contract can be transferred to another home you move to, as long as it&#8217;s in the same service territory.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Are there companies planning community solar in the Needham area?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The companies below are offering community solar in Massachusetts. You can examine their offerings on the web via the links below.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ampion.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ampion<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcadia.com\/community-solar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arcadia<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bluewavesolar.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Blue Wave<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clearwaycommunitysolar.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Clearway<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nexamp.com\/community-solar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nexamp<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Some community solar companies are accepting small non-residential customers.\u00a0 Here in Needham, Temple Beth Shalom recently signed up with a community solar company to provide supplemental solar capacity for the synagogue.\u00a0 The Temple&#8217;s onsite solar system could only provide 33% of their energy needs due to site limitations.\u00a0 They now obtain the remaining 67% of the electricity needed via their community solar contract.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0If you do find a company offering community solar, <\/strong><strong>a<\/strong><strong>sk questions!<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When might the solar farm be built in our area &#8212; has a specific site already been found?<\/li>\n<li>Is there a deposit required for signing up?<\/li>\n<li>What happens to the deposit if the solar project doesn&#8217;t go through?<\/li>\n<li>How much will you save? How is the billing handled?<\/li>\n<li>How long is the contract?<\/li>\n<li>What happens if you move during the term of the contract or if the company goes out of business?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Finally, Green Needham does <strong><em>not\u00a0<\/em> <\/strong>endorse\/recommend any particular community solar company.<\/p>\n<p>Updated July 2023<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnc-resources-header\">Resources<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"gnc-resources-subheader\">Documents<\/h5>\n\t\t<ul class=\"documents\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"document document-4527\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/documents\/2015\/03\/greening-your-electricity-presentation-slides-3215.pdf\/\"\n\t\t\t\t target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\tGreening  Your Electricity presentation slides 3\/2\/15\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\n<h5 class=\"gnc-resources-subheader\">Resources on the Web<\/h5>\n<!-- Links --><table style=\"margin:0;padding:0;\"><tr style=\"width:100%;\">\r\n<td style=\"width:100px;vertical-align:top\">\r\n\r\n<\/td><td>\r\n<div class=\"links_sc_fb\" style=\"text-align:left\">\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/communitysolar.energysage.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Energy Sage Community Solar Marketplace<\/a>\r\n<br \/>Enter your zip code and average monthly electric bill, and find community solar farms\/projects in your area.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/td><\/tr><tr style=\"width:100%;\">\r\n<td style=\"width:100px;vertical-align:top\">\r\n\r\n<\/td><td>\r\n<div class=\"links_sc_fb\" style=\"text-align:left\">\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/energynews.us\/?mc_cid=625a9d40c6&#038;mc_eid=8c2322abf2\" target=\"_blank\">Rollout of Mass.-based EnergySage&#039;s Community Solar Marketplace website<\/a>\r\n<br \/>Rollout of Mass.-based EnergySage's Community Solar Marketplace website\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/td><\/tr><\/table>\n<!-- \/Links -->\n<div  class=\"rpwe-block\"><ul class=\"rpwe-ul\"><li class=\"rpwe-li rpwe-clearfix\"><a class=\"rpwe-img\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/residential-solar-where-to-start-2\/\" target=\"_self\"><img class=\"rpwe-alignleft rpwe-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/solar-pic-S.Frail_-100x100.jpg\" alt=\"Residential Solar\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><\/a><h3 class=\"rpwe-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/residential-solar-where-to-start-2\/\" target=\"_self\">Residential Solar<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"rpwe-summary\">Yes, New England has enough sun for solar! Explore options for both solar electric, (photovoltaic (PV) panels use energy from the sun to produce electricity), and solar hot water...<\/div><\/li><li class=\"rpwe-li rpwe-clearfix\"><a class=\"rpwe-img\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/mass-energy-green-power\/\" target=\"_self\"><img class=\"rpwe-alignleft rpwe-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/mass-energy-hull-turbine-100x100.jpg\" alt=\"Green Energy Consumers Alliance, (formerly Mass Energy), Green Power\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><\/a><h3 class=\"rpwe-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/mass-energy-green-power\/\" target=\"_self\">Green Energy Consumers Alliance, (formerly Mass Energy), Green Power<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"rpwe-summary\">Green Energy Consumers Alliance, (formerly Mass Energy), is a non-profit that will match your monthly electricity use (in kilowatt hours) with local green power. Green Energy Consumers Alliance uses your money to buy Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from carefully chosen local projects...<\/div><\/li><li class=\"rpwe-li rpwe-clearfix\"><a class=\"rpwe-img\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/buying-green-power\/\" target=\"_self\"><img class=\"rpwe-alignleft rpwe-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/electric-bill-sample-supplier-section-smaller-size-100x100.jpg\" alt=\"Buying Green Electricity From a \u201cCompetitive Supplier\u201d\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><\/a><h3 class=\"rpwe-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/buying-green-power\/\" target=\"_self\">Buying Green Electricity From a \u201cCompetitive Supplier\u201d<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"rpwe-summary\">Are you confused by solicitations from companies offering to supply electricity a price lower than Eversource? And what does it mean when companies offer the opportunity to buy green electricity? Read on!<\/div><\/li><li class=\"rpwe-li rpwe-clearfix\"><a class=\"rpwe-img\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/battery-storage-adding-to-your-pv-system\/\" target=\"_self\"><img class=\"rpwe-alignleft rpwe-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/home-solar-battery1-wiki-OIPDUYMCUTQ-100x100.jpg\" alt=\"Battery Storage: Adding to Your PV System\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><\/a><h3 class=\"rpwe-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/battery-storage-adding-to-your-pv-system\/\" target=\"_self\">Battery Storage: Adding to Your PV System<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"rpwe-summary\">Already have a PV System, but are now interested in adding battery storage? Read on to learn more about all aspects of battery storage, from reasons for adding it, costs, battery life, and where to locate it in your home.<\/div><\/li><li class=\"rpwe-li rpwe-clearfix\"><a class=\"rpwe-img\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/community-electricity-aggregation-2-2\/\" target=\"_self\"><img class=\"rpwe-alignleft rpwe-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/2022-0720-CEA-webpage-photo-for-GNC-100x100.jpg\" alt=\"Needham Power Choice\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><\/a><h3 class=\"rpwe-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/community-electricity-aggregation-2-2\/\" target=\"_self\">Needham Power Choice<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"rpwe-summary\">Green Needham's electricity aggregation team has been actively working to bring aggregation to Needham. Read more about this exciting way to add more green energy to our electricity mix. If you\u2019re interested in updates, or would like to be involved as we move forward, join our electricity aggregation team. We will be providing education, outreach and advocacy in support of the Town\u2019s progress towards an aggregation plan.<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><!-- Generated by http:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/recent-posts-widget-extended\/ -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Don&#8217;t have a good roof for solar? Or do you rent rather than own? If you would like to take advantage of solar energy for your home, but cannot due to shading, orientation, roof structure or financial considerations, there is now another way&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":12758,"parent":0,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[338],"class_list":["post-5013","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-greening-your-electricity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenneedham.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}