Have you heard about community solar projects? Sometimes called shared solar or solar gardens, a community solar project is a solar energy model where a group of people collectively lease or buy part of an off-site solar system. For example, if a group of neighbors decide they all want to use solar energy to power their homes, they all pitch in for an off-site solar system that delivers clean, renewable energy to them.
Community solar projects are a great option for groups of people who don’t want to alter their homes by installing solar panels on the roof, or for those whose roofs aren’t suitable for solar panels, yet still want to power their homes with renewable energy while lowering their monthly energy bills.
How do community solar projects work?
If you think you’d like to sign up for a community solar project, the first step is to do an internet search for existing solar gardens in your area. You don’t need to go out and find a group of people with whom you’d like to share a solar system. Instead, you can join an existing one, and you’ll need to decide whether you want to join a subscription-based shared solar project, or an ownership-based one. Subscription-based means you simply join a solar garden and pay for renewable electricity, while ownership-based means you buy a certain number of panels that make up the solar garden.
What are the benefits of community solar projects?
- Shared solar projects give more people access to clean energy. Perhaps your property isn’t suitable for solar panels, or you don’t want to install them on your roof.
- Solar gardens help people lower their monthly energy bills while also reducing their carbon output.
How does community solar improve the grid?
Using solar energy benefits the traditional energy grid in several ways. First, it reduces demand, meaning the grid isn’t as strained as it would be if everyone was using it at full capacity. Second, solar gardens actually supply energy to the grid when it generates more than it can use. And lastly, shared solar systems reduce grid stress, meaning it’s less likely to malfunction.
For more information about community solar projects, or if you have any residential solar questions, please contact our team at Greenhouse Solar today or visit our website at: https://greenhouse.solar/