How to go solar without putting panels on your roof
If you’d like to use solar power in your home but can’t put panels on your roof, help may be on the way. Over the past few months, several states passed legislation to support the concept of community solar, which gives homeowners the chance to use solar instead of conventional power.
Community solar allows consumers to share solar power from a common system with other consumers. The source of the solar power can be owned by municipal utilities, independent solar developers, a group of homeowners or businesses, or community and nonprofit organizations such as electric co-ops. There are various models in which such projects are operated and billed — participants can own, lease or subscribe to a specified number of panels or a portion of the system and typically receive electricity or monetary credits in proportion to their share of the project. Consumers who opt for community solar continue to work with their utility, but sign on for solar in addition to conventional energy.
Today, there are about 15.8 million homes in the U.S. that have the potential to go solar, according to GTM Research, the research arm of energy media company Greentech Media. Only a sliver of these homes have installed rooftop solar power systems. About 49% of American households wish to go solar but can’t because they don’t have the right kind of roof to host solar panels, they don’t own the houses they live in, or can’t afford to invest in the systems, which may take about four years to pay back, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a Colorado-based government institution that conducts research and development in renewable energy and energy efficiency . The solution? Community or shared solar, the segment that experts believe will drive the solar market over the next few years, as more states in the country pass legislation to support it. Read More…