Community Solar

Community Solar Presentation

On February 22nd, the Civic Association invited a speaker, Natalia Franco from Neighborhood Sun, to give a presentation on community solar at the Heritage Harbour Lodge.  Subscribing to community solar saves money on your electric bills and does not require you to install solar panels on your roof.  (Here is the link to the presentation).

Subscribing to community solar connects you with a local solar farm so you can subscribe to a designated share of the clean energy it produces based on your average monthly energy usage.  BGE continues to deliver your electricity and solar energy credits will appear on your monthly electric bill.  You pay the community solar company for your share of community solar energy at a discount via a separate bill each month. 


If you want to learn more about community solar, see the Neighborhood Sun website and the Q&A's and links below.

In 2023, Neighborhood Sun allocated more than 200 Million kWh of clean, local energy to households and businesses of all income levels through community solar subscriptions. Neighborhood Sun subscribers saved more than $2.8 Million on electricity costs in 2023, with 14% of those savings going to Low- and Moderate-Income (LMI) residents. Together, our solar community prevented 142,524 metric tons of CO2-equivalent, resulting in the same impact as removing ~32,000 gas-powered cars off the road for a year or growing ~2.4 Million trees for 10 years.


Read the full 2023 year-end report.

Why Sign-up for Community Solar?



Rapid growth of renewable energy sources is essential to fighting climate change and driving energy independence. Before the community solar idea gained traction, the only way a household could go solar would be to install panels on rooftops or in large backyards. Even with federal and state tax credits, residential solar installations sometimes require a large upfront investment by the homeowner and, just as important, are available only to homeowners. Community solar offers the benefits of solar to all households, both renters and owners, by allowing utility customers to subscribe to a share of a local solar farm’s output. The State of Maryland has committed to community solar with a program that allows electric utilities in Maryland to connect with solar farms participating in the program. 


Why Neighborhood Sun?



Does community solar cost me anything?

No. There are zero fees or additional costs– only money saved.


How quickly will I see the benefits of subscribing?

It depends on the availability of a community solar farm. If a community solar farm is already generating power, you could see your solar credits on your electricity bill as soon as the next billing cycle. However, in some cases, the community solar farm still needs to finish construction, so it can be a few months until you start to see your community solar credits. 


If I sign up with Neighborhood Sun, what will happen to my regular utility bill?

Once your subscription is activated, your BGE bill will show a credit each month, based on the amount of electricity (kWh) you consume and the utility’s going price of supplying and distributing that electricity. So, you will pay less to BGE. But you will get a separate bill from Neighborhood Sun, for that credited amount, minus a fixed percentage discount, which is usually 10% depending on the solar farm you join. Higher discounts are available for Low/Medium Income (LMI) subscribers.  The percentage discount is guaranteed for the life of the contract with Neighborhood Sun, so if BGE’s rate per kWh increases, your discount in dollar terms increases, too.


What if I want to cancel? Do I have to pay a cancellation charge?

No. You may cancel your plan at any time, with a 90-day notice. Under the Maryland program, the solar farm you are subscribed to through Neighborhood Sun must honor your contract for 20 or more years.


What information will I need to sign up?


I already have an alternative electric supplier that bills through BGE. Can I still sign up for Neighborhood Sun?

Third-party suppliers and community solar are compatible, so you can have both and using both can save you money. There is no need to cancel your electric supplier to subscribe to Community Solar.

What are the benefits for customers with moderate or low incomes?

Some solar farms represented by Neighborhood Sun offer higher discounts to customers with low to moderate incomes.  The LMI discounts range from 15% to 20% depending on the farm. To qualify as a moderate-income customer, a household’s gross income must be under $72,000 per year.   To qualify as a low-income customer, the household income is based on 175% of the federal poverty guidelines, which range by family size up to about $90,000 per year.   


How does billing work?

It may sound complicated, but billing and credits are automatic once everything is set up.  Here's how it works behind the scenes:


1.  Your solar energy is generated & delivered to the electric grid:  At the end of every month, your utility company reads the meter at the solar farm to see how much electricity was generated.
2.  Your solar energy is reflected on your electric bill:  In the following month, your utility company applies your share of the solar energy to your electric bill in the form of "solar credits." You'll only pay your utility company for the electricity used minus your solar credits. Note that each utility company may refer to these credits by a different name.
3.  You receive an invoice from Neighborhood Sun for your solar energy:  Your utility company then tells us how many solar credits they applied to your electric bill (typically communicated at the end of the month). We then invoice you for those solar credits, but at a discounted rate.  The invoice goes out about 2 months after the solar farm generated the initial electricity you're being charged for.


Consolidated billing is in the pipeline, which will simplify the process. 


Are there other community solar companies?


Yes, there are other community solar providers in the State of Maryland’s program. You can always do your own research and decide for yourself which company to use.  

How can I be sure the community solar project is legitimate? 

Community solar projects are subject to consumer protection laws that prohibit misleading marketing practices, but you should still read the terms of your subscription contract and the required contract disclosure form closely. A legitimate community solar project is required to provide a subscriber organization number in any marketing materials or contracts it uses to sell subscriptions to residential customers.  Click here for more information.


Questions?

You can chat directly with an online Neighborhood Sun representative while signing up on the website, or you can contact Neighborhood Sun’s program manager:  

Natalia Franco (240-985-8641)

natalia.franco@neighborhoodsun.solar

If you decide you want to sign up with Neighborhood Sun, click here for the online form.

Natalia Franco Bio:  Natalia Franco has been working with Neighborhood Sun since 2020 and to this day she has helped almost 500 households subscribe to the Community Solar Program. Through her work, she has helped residents generate over 6 Million Kilowatt/hr of solar energy. This is preventing the emissions of 4.7 Million pounds of coal burned or 900 gasoline-powered vehicles driven for one year. She's passionate about living a sustainable lifestyle, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping communities be a part of the clean energy transition.