Community & shared solar
Enter your usage once, then compare up to 3 providers on savings, contract terms, and flexibility, not just their advertised discount.
How it works
Step 1
This applies to every provider so the comparison is fair. Use your actual annual kWh from a recent bill summary, or check the solar garden comparison tool if your offers use that terminology instead.
Step 2
Pull the credit rate, discount, contract length, cancellation fee, and price lock status from each provider's actual contract, not a marketing summary. The cancellation fee calculator can help pin down that figure if it isn't stated clearly.
Step 3
The highest savings provider and the most flexible provider aren't always the same one. Decide which matters more for your situation before making a final choice.
A provider offering a longer contract and a bigger discount can produce more total savings, while a provider with a shorter contract, lower cancellation fee, and price lock offers more flexibility even at a lower savings total. Neither is automatically the right choice, since the better fit depends on how much you value certainty versus commitment. Run the subscription cost per kWh tool on your top pick for a second check. A financing quote comparison across lenders follows the same total-cost-versus-flexibility logic, covered by the quick financing comparison tool.
A price lock guarantees your discount percentage stays fixed for the full contract term, protecting you from a provider raising the subscription cost partway through. Without a price lock, a provider could technically increase what you pay even while your credit rate stays the same, which quietly erodes your savings. Check the price lock value calculator for what this protection is actually worth in dollars. The Department of Energy's community solar basics guide lists transparent, locked-in pricing as a core consumer protection worth expecting from any legitimate provider.
Plans change, and a high cancellation fee can turn a good deal into a costly one if your circumstances shift, such as an unexpected move outside the utility territory. A lower cancellation fee is a form of insurance against future uncertainty, worth factoring in even if you're confident you'll stay enrolled for the full term. A financed rooftop loan carries a comparable exit cost in the form of a prepayment penalty, covered by the savings comparison between a loan and a PPA.
Once you've compared the numbers, cross-check your top choice against the contract length comparison tool for a deeper look at how term length specifically affects your decision, then confirm everything directly with the provider before signing. Check the DSIRE database too if you're comparing providers across more than one state, since program rules and available incentives can differ significantly.
Questions
Compare total dollar savings, contract length, cancellation fee, and whether the discount rate is locked for the full term. A provider with a slightly lower discount but a shorter contract and no cancellation fee can be the better fit even though the raw savings number is smaller.
Not necessarily, since longer contracts often come with better discount rates and total savings can end up higher over the full term. The tradeoff is flexibility, since a longer contract means a bigger commitment if your circumstances change.
This varies widely by state and market maturity. Some areas have just one or two providers, while established community solar markets can have five or more competing providers within the same utility territory.
Total savings is the most important factor for most subscribers, but not the only one worth weighing. If you value flexibility to cancel or move, or want protection from a subscription price escalator, those factors can reasonably outweigh a modest savings difference between providers.