Community Solar

Accessing solar energy can be a struggle for many Pennsylvanians. Community solar greatly benefits residents who are interested in the advantages of solar energy but who do not have the option to put solar panels on their homes. This subscription-based model allows for solar energy to be produced at a separate location from where the customers reside.

The majority of residential households do not have roofs suitable for solar panel installation due to roof conditions or shading. Solar panels may also be out of reach for renters, multi-unit buildings, and low income households. Being able to purchase a subscription to a community solar program bypasses the obstacles of roof condition, ownership versus renting status, roof orientation, shading, and other site conditions, resulting in equitable access to the benefits of solar. Community solar eliminates many barriers that low- to moderate-income residents encounter when attempting to participate in solar programs.

The larger scale of community solar projects compared to smaller residential rooftop solar contributes to increased efficiency, as well as the ability to site community solar projects in ideal locations rather than making a less than ideal rooftop work. Community solar also contributes to overall grid resilience and reduces the over-reliance on a single fuel type by providing a more diverse energy portfolio. Combining battery energy storage with community solar improves grid resilience even more.

Because of all the benefits discussed above, community solar has the potential to dramatically accelerate the adoption of solar in the Commonwealth to the benefit of all electricity users. Unfortunately, it is not yet legal in Pennsylvania despite being permissible in every surrounding state.