Community & shared solar, 50 tools

How much can you save with community solar?

Subscribe to a shared solar farm instead of putting panels on your own roof. These tools run the subscription math: savings, credit rates, contract terms, and how community solar stacks up against owning or doing nothing.

Start here

The tool most people run first

Community solar subscription savings calculator Your bill credit rate against your subscription cost, in dollars per year. The starting point for every other tool on this page.

Savings and subscription size

Size your subscription and estimate what it saves

Subscription savings calculator Subscription size kWh calculator Subscription cost per kWh tool Quick savings estimator Quick comparison tool Credit allocation estimator Credit rate vs utility rate Minimum subscription size Maximum subscription size

Compare your options

Community solar against your other choices

Ownership vs subscription Community vs rooftop solar Community solar vs doing nothing Community solar vs PPA Community vs installed solar savings Community solar vs battery backup Community solar vs grid only, 25 years Payback crossover vs installed solar

Contracts and credits

Understand your contract before you sign

Contract length comparison Cancellation fee calculator Escalator rate calculator Credit expiration calculator Billing cycle alignment tool Early exit cost calculator Credit rollover calculator Annual true up estimator Price lock value calculator Credit transfer between accounts

Offset size

Pick the right offset percentage

25% offset calculator 50% offset calculator 100% offset calculator Project size vs subscriber count

Renters, HOAs, and shared buildings

Community solar when you don't have your own roof

For renters calculator For low income households HOA feasibility tool Condo shared roof allocation Multi family cost split Multi tenant building allocation Neighborhood co op cost split Rural co op calculator

Programs and organizations

Programs run by cities, schools, and nonprofits

Municipal program savings estimator School district savings tool Nonprofit organization calculator Shared solar garden comparison Developer fee comparison Shared array maintenance fee Provider comparison tool

Enrolling and staying enrolled

Sign up, stay eligible, and keep your credits if you move

Waitlist cost of delay calculator Enrollment timing calculator Eligibility checker tool Portability when moving tool

How community solar subscriptions work

The credit lands on your bill, not on your roof

You subscribe to a share of a solar farm, and the credits show up on your regular electric bill each month. The Department of Energy's community solar basics guide explains the billing flow, including what happens when credits exceed your usage.

Compare owning panels before you subscribe

A subscription suits renters and shaded roofs, but owning can pay back more if you plan to stay put for years. The solar panel calculator sizes a rooftop system for your usage, so you can compare the two paths with real numbers.

Check whether your state has a program

Community solar only exists where the state or utility allows it, and the rules differ widely. The DSIRE database lists programs by state, so confirm one serves your address before you compare providers.

How long until the savings pass the cost

Most subscriptions save a little each month, so the question is how those savings add up over the contract term. The payback period calculator turns the monthly saving into a year count you can judge.

Questions

Frequently asked

Most subscribers save 5% to 15% off their electric bill, since the bill credit rate usually sits a bit below the retail utility rate. Run your own numbers in the subscription savings calculator or get a rough figure fast with the quick savings estimator.

It depends on whether you own your roof, how long you plan to stay, and how much cash you want to put down upfront. The ownership vs subscription tool and community vs rooftop comparison both walk through the tradeoff with your own numbers.

Yes. Community solar is built for exactly this, since you subscribe to a shared array instead of installing anything on your own property. See the renters calculator or the condo shared roof allocation calculator if your building has its own shared array.

Most programs let you transfer your subscription to a new address within the same utility territory, or cancel with a notice period and sometimes a fee. Check the portability tool before you sign, and the early exit cost calculator if you're already subscribed and thinking about leaving.