Community solar refers to local solar facilities shared by multiple community subscribers who receive credit on their electricity bills for their share of the power produced. This model for solar is being rapidly adopted nationwide. Today, only a small minority of American households and businesses have access to solar because they rent, live in multitenant buildings, have roofs that are unable to host a solar system, are shaded by trees, or experience some other mitigating factor.
Community solar provides homeowners, renters, and businesses equal access to the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy generation regardless of the physical attributes or ownership of their home or business. Community solar expands access to solar for all, including in particular low-to-moderate income customers most impacted by a lack of access, all while building a stronger, distributed, and more resilient electric grid.
Community solar works for anyone with an electric bill, including renters, residents in multi-unit buildings, municipalities, non-profits and businesses that don’t own their roofs. That means community solar can give all Americans equal access to solar for the first time. A recent poll found that nearly 80 % of PA voters supported legislation that would give them access to participate in community solar projects and provide more energy choice for their electricity.
This can also provide a reliable income stream for farmers who may lease a small portion of their land to host these projects, while they still maintain their family farm, including the potential for certain crops beneath the solar panela.
We proudly share this video here, developed by the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA), which provides what a community solar facility looks like and features a member of the PA Farm Bureau, who has already leased a small portion of his farm in Maryland for a community solar project and hopes to do the same on his adjoining land in PA.