Tag Archives: community solar

Q&A: Why Is Community Solar So Hot And The Keys To Getting Deals Done

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

As community solar continues to streak across the solar sky as the hottest segment in the industry, the questions are twofold: Why is it the hottest segment, and what are the keys to getting deals done. Scott Wiater, president and CEO of Standard Solar, a national solar company that has recently done community solar deals in New York and Colorado, agreed to answer those questions – and offer advice to anyone trying to launch community solar programs in new areas.

SolarWakeup: Why is community solar one of the fastest-growing segments of the solar industry?

Scott Wiater: The size of the market is staggering. According to a GTM Research, Wood Mackenzie and Vote Solar report, between 50% and 75% of U.S. electricity consumers can’t put solar arrays on their own roofs. That means there’s 50% to 75% of U.S. electricity consumers that can’t be a part of the Solar Revolution unless there’s an alternative way to reach them. People are realizing that community solar provides them with that opportunity.

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SolarWakeup: According to a recent study, only 19 states have programs that actively promote community solar programs. Why is that?

Scott Wiater: It’s a relatively new market, and just like any other new market, there’s an education process that we have to go through. It’s not that states don’t want community solar programs. I just think that right now that they don’t know any better.

SolarWakeup: What kind of education effort is needed to explain the benefits of community solar to policymakers?

Scott Wiater: You’d be surprised how quickly policymakers start to get it once you explain to them not only the benefits to the consumers but also the neighborhood that’s connected to the community solar program. So it doesn’t take much, though it does require that the solar company involved be willing to take the time to explain the process to them. In the end, it’s so worth every effort we make.

SolarWakeup: What kind of reception do you get when you start talking about community solar to customers?

Scott Wiater: They get excited. After all, what’s not to get excited about? It’s an opportunity to access clean energy without the complex process of putting it on your own roof. People like easy, and community solar gives them an easy way to do their part to help the environment—and it saves them money on their electric bills to boot. What’s not to like?

SolarWakeup: What are the three most important elements to getting a community solar deal done?

Scott Wiater: The three most important elements to getting a community solar deal done are education, financing and customer acquisition. The key to making sure all of that goes smoothly is to have a development group involved that has done it before and won’t get tangled up in the complexity of the deal. There’s a specific set of skills companies must have to do community solar projects smoothly, and not everyone has that skill set. If you’re considering doing a community solar project, do your due diligence and make sure the company you choose to spearhead your deal fully understands everything that entails.

Massachusetts To Receive Influx Of Community Solar Projects

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Community solar is one of the fastest growing segments of the solar industry right now despite only 19 states having active governmental support through policies and incentives to encourage community solar projects.

Massachusetts is one of those states, however, with its SMART incentive program having specific enticements to bring community solar to the Bay State – and it’s attracted one of the strongest national firms in the country to build a series of projects there.

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CleanChoice Energy, a renewable energy company that provides wind and solar energy products to customers across the country, has launched CleanChoice Energy Community Solar in Massachusetts with 3.489 MW of proposed community solar capacity. The launch opens hundreds of new subscriber allocations for Bay State residents that live in the National Grid service area.

CleanChoice Energy Community Solar customers have the opportunity to save up to 10% on their utility bills with no upfront costs while supporting local solar projects. Customers outside of the National Grid service area that want to make the switch to clean energy can sign-up for a Community Solar waiting list or choose one of the company’s other clean energy options.

“We know that Massachusetts residents want to do their part on climate and the environment. Community solar allows people to make an impact by supporting local solar projects and helping reduce carbon emissions,” said Tom Matzzie, CEO of CleanChoice Energy. “CleanChoice Energy Community Solar makes it easy. Bay State residents can sign-up online in just a few minutes and save money on their utility bills.”

Community Solar offers landowners, farmers, and others the opportunity to receive additional revenue to install solar panels, while opening the benefits of solar to the hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents and businesses that either do not own their own home or do not have a roof that works for solar.

The CleanChoice Energy Community Solar platform connects people to local Community Solar projects, allowing residents and businesses to sign-up to support local solar in minutes and to see up to 10% savings on their utility bills with no upfront investment, setup fees or installation.

Developer Launches Community Solar Subscriber Management Software

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

As community solar continues to grow – and it is one of the fastest-growing segments of the solar industry – it’s becoming increasingly necessary to figure out how to manage subscriber accounts. But the question is this: Where can community solar array owners find the software necessary to do just that?

Well, one developer out of Denver is looking to answer the question.

Pivot Energy today announced it has launched SunCentral, a white-labeled community solar customer management cloud platform. The service was designed to improve the customer experience for community solar subscribers, and optimize the customer management process for project owners, operators, and developers.

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“We saw a critical need in the marketplace for a community solar customer management software that is customer focused, offers a variety of flexible solutions, and is priced right,” said Pivot CEO, Rick Hunter. “When we realized that it did not exist, we built it. As project developers ourselves, we understand the cost model of the community solar businesses, and are able to offer our platform at a cost that our clients can afford, while also bridging the gap between highly technical and customer friendly platforms.”

SunCentral provides project owners, operators, and utilities a unique platform to manage community solar subscriptions, while also allowing subscribers to easily access information. Some of the features include seamless bill payments, energy production monitoring, access to contracts, photos of solar projects, downloadable financial reports, ability to view capacity and availability in multiple projects, data sharing directly with utilities, and more. Pivot will sell the platform to other owner/operators as either a stand-alone cloud application, or an application combined with fully-staffed customer management services.

“We are seeing the community solar market maturing and companies becoming more sophisticated very quickly,” noted Hunter. “Our software provides flexibility that helps our customers simplify every step of the process – whether they have several offtakers or hundreds, it connects them transparently to each project.”

Community solar is the fastest growing segment of the solar industry, with recent research indicating that the community solar market will add as much as 3 GW nationally in the next few years, up from 1.2 GW currently. For instance, in Colorado, a single MW can power up to 164 homes, with 3 GW powering up to 500,000 homes.

With a soft launch having occurred in September, SunCentral is already serving operators and customers in Colorado, with expansion to other markets in progress. The platform is expected to gain significant market share in 2019.

East Meets West: Boston Expands Community Solar Access To New Territories

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Massachusetts is still working out its solar future, but at least for residents of Boston and the eastern part of the state, community solar has become much easier to access, thanks to the efforts of a company called Ampion.

Under a new agreement with Eversource, the area’s primary utility, residents living in the eastern half of Massachusetts will now be able to purchase solar electricity from community solar farms in the western part of the state. Prior to this agreement, the two segments of Eversource’s customer base were considered separately, severely hindering the spread of community solar programs throughout the state.

Ampion facilitates community solar farms by working with current Massachusetts solar developers. As these farms produce power, subscribers receive “solar credits” on their electric bill that offset their balance. In addition to supporting clean power, subscribers save money through the program, as each credit is sold at a discount from their value on the electric bill.

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“This is one of the most advantageous customer programs the Commonwealth has ever seen,” said Nate Owen, CEO of Ampion. “Bostonians can simply sign up for a clean energy offering that cuts their utility costs. The benefits of solar are now available to people who never before had the option: lower prices, cleaner air, and safer energy. We’ve already had hundreds of residents and businesses sign up.”

Eversource customers can learn more and sign up by visiting signup.ampion.io. Capacity is limited, so residents and businesses are encouraged to enroll their meters while there is still availability.

“As a Bostonian, I can experience the benefits of community solar as both an advocate and a customer,” says Chris Mills, head of outreach at Ampion. “As a tenant, I could never go solar, but now it’s easier than ever. Even if I move, I can take my subscription with me anywhere in the city. It’s a point I like to make to my friends who rent their apartments.”