Building Block

Equitable Community Solar Program

Summary

Homeowners, renters, and community organizations can participate in a community solar project and purchase affordable solar power produced close to home, without installing any new equipment. Community solar arrays can be built on faith institution or school campuses, brownfields, unused lots, or anywhere where there is enough space, sun exposure, and access to the power grid for a solar array to work.

The problem with most preexisting community solar programs is that they have the same barriers to entry as personal rooftop solar -- that is, the programs require high credit scores, upfront costs, and long term commitments. Equitable community solar programs solve this by eliminating barriers. One such program implemented by Groundswell eliminates barriers via a model that takes credit scores off the table as an obstacle and enables anyone to subscribe to affordable clean energy.

Part of Solution

  • Place-based programs in clean and equitable community energy

    • Additional Information

    Acording to Groundswell-- an organization that is implementing equitable community solar programs-- the main offerings of the program include:

    • Saves money for working families
    • Takes consumer credit off the table as an obstacle for working families
    • Links the power of community organizing to the credit strength of the project
    • Enables monetization of tax credits
    • Features mission-aligned ownership structure
    • Builds community wealth
    • Can work with utility, rural electric co-ops, or municipal utilities
    • Market-based, and not dependent on subsidy for replication and scale

    Photos

    • Community solar model 01

    Submitted By

    Bryan Lehrer74310022 copy

    Key Details

    Activity