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Community solar is a system that enables communities to generate solar power on their own through a shared solar facility that member households can subscribe to. Discover how community solar is bringing power to the people.

In a world battling climate change, clean energy is a powerful weapon. The sun may shine everywhere, but not everyone can have solar panels on their roof. Most people rent their homes or live in apartment buildings. Their rooftops may be excessively shaded, or they can’t afford the upfront costs of installing solar panels. 

Enter community solar, which lets you harness the power of the sun no matter what type of home you live in. In this article, find out what community solar is and how it works. Discover the benefits of harnessing the sun’s power and how this concept is gaining traction in the United States.

Community solar: the basics

In community solar, subscribers--whether residents, small businesses, or organizations--sign up or buy a share of the solar project. Once the community solar facility is up and running, it produces renewable energy that it sends to the grid, which the utility company distributes to its customers. The subscribers receive credit on their electricity bills for their share of the solar power produced. 

Community solar participation models

There are two common ways to join a community solar project or program: the ownership model or the subscription method.

• Ownership: Customers purchase several solar panels and get electric bill credits or savings from all the energy produced by the solar panels they own.
• Subscription: For those without the funds to buy solar panels, a subscription method is an option. Customers pay a subscription fee to get credits off their electricity bill.

The benefits of community solar

Community solar enables access to solar for everyone--regardless of the physical characteristics or ownership of your home or office. It makes solar adoption more affordable and accessible, providing subscribers with energy savings while helping fight climate change.

Because community solar eliminates financial barriers to solar energy adoption, it can help bring the environmental and economic benefits of solar power to underserved communities--especially low-to-moderate income households and small businesses.

Watch this video to see how community solar is helping lower-income Americans go green.

A bright future for solar energy

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, community solar is taking off in the United States. According to the latest market report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), about 1,107 megawatts of community solar systems came online in 2020. 

Community solar projects in the United States have grown tremendously, increasing solar capacity by around 121% year on year since 2010. According to the report, there are now around 1,600 projects in the United States exceeding 3.2 GW in capacity. Through these community solar projects, subscribers can save as much as 25% on their electricity bills.

As we approach the point of no return in the fight against human-induced climate change, community solar is a shining beacon of hope. It shows us that we can come together for the good of all--regardless of our economic or living situations. One home, one building, one sunny day at a time, we can play a role in creating change.

At IMI, we are committed to bringing solar energy to homes and communities around the world. Our subsidiary, Merlin Solar Technologies, specializes in solar panel technology solutions for transportation, industrial, residential, and portable applications. Learn more about Merlin Solar Technologies here.

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