Understanding How Community Solar Works
Whether you’re looking for commercial solar energy in New York or New Hampshire, understanding the basics of community solar is imperative. As the backbone of your savings, community solar is a program that benefits both businesses and local residents.
Most of us have a surface understanding of how solar works. Transforming light and energy from the sun into usable energy that powers our businesses and homes, solar energy is creating a sustainable future. Similarly, when most people think of solar energy, they envision solar panels lining the rooftop of your building. However, community solar is a bit different.
Let’s take a look at how solar energy in New York or New Hampshire works, particularly community solar.
Solar gardens
With community solar, there’s never a need to install solar panels on the roof of your home or business. Instead, the panels line fields referred to as community solar gardens. These gardens are located on land near the existing electric grid infrastructure. The solar garden then creates clean, renewable energy, which is fed back into the grid.
Where community comes into play
Now that you have an understanding of where we produce solar energy, it’s time to take a look at how its benefits reach you. This part is actually quite simple. A solar community is just that – a community of people or businesses that join solar energy through a subscription and receive a share of the farm’s energy output.
Businesses subscribe to the solar energy produced from the solar farm. The utility companies then recognize the subscription and offer community solar credits on their utility bill. However, we must mention that each state operates under its own set of regulations.
Community solar summarized
Although this seems like a complicated process, we can summarize community solar in four steps:
- An energy company constructs a solar farm (or garden)
- Businesses and residents can join a subscription for the solar program
- The solar farm’s energy is allocated to the local energy grid
- Subscribers earn credits that are generally applied to the monthly utility bills, reducing costs
Whether you’re considering switching to solar energy in New York or another state, community solar will save you money every month. Besides saving money, you’re contributing to a greener future. For more information, contact our team at Renewables Worldwide Inc. today at (844) 542-5033.