Community & shared solar
Enter your usage once, then plug in up to 3 solar garden offers to see which one actually saves you the most over its contract term.
How it works
Step 1
This figure applies to every offer, so the comparison is fair. Use your actual annual kWh from a recent bill summary, or check the subscription savings calculator if you want a single-offer breakdown first.
Step 2
Pull the credit rate, discount, fee, and contract length from each provider's actual proposal rather than a marketing summary. The subscription cost per kWh tool can double check any single offer in more depth.
Step 3
The winning offer isn't always the one with the highest discount, since fees and contract length change the total picture. Trust the total savings figure over any single input.
Solar garden is simply a regional term for the same shared solar array structure that's called community solar elsewhere. Minnesota's program in particular popularized the phrase, and it's carried into neighboring states and some Canadian provinces as well. The subscription mechanics, credit rates, and discounts work identically regardless of which term a provider uses. The DSIRE database has the current version, so check there before you rely on a summary.
A 15% discount with a monthly fee and a lower credit rate can lose to a 10% discount with no fee and a higher credit rate, depending on the exact numbers. This tool runs the full math for each offer so you're comparing actual dollars, not marketing headlines. Check the contract length comparison tool as well if the offers differ significantly in term length. The real versus estimated savings gap calculator is worth running too once you've enrolled, to confirm an offer's advertised numbers held up in practice.
This tool compares dollar totals only. It doesn't account for differences in each provider's reputation, customer service history, or the specific array's production track record. Check the provider comparison tool for a broader side-by-side that includes these softer factors alongside the numbers. The Department of Energy's community solar basics guide lists consumer protections worth checking for on any offer, regardless of which term a provider uses to describe their program.
Before signing with your top offer, confirm the cancellation terms and whether the discount is locked for the full contract. The cancellation fee calculator is worth running on your chosen offer specifically, since providers vary a lot on this term even when their savings numbers look similar. A financed rooftop alternative carries its own exit terms worth the same scrutiny, covered by the quick financing comparison tool. Check the DSIRE database too if you're comparing offers from providers operating in more than one state.
Questions
A solar garden is another name for a community solar array, a term used commonly in Minnesota, Colorado, and other upper Midwest states. It refers to the same shared solar farm structure that subscribers buy into through a community solar subscription.
A higher discount percentage doesn't always mean more savings once you account for differences in credit rate, monthly fees, and contract length between offers. Two offers with the same discount can produce very different total savings depending on these other terms.
A shorter contract offers more flexibility but often comes with a smaller discount, since providers typically reward longer commitments with better rates. Weigh the total savings over each term against how much you value flexibility to switch or cancel.
In states with mature community solar markets, yes, multiple developers often operate separate solar gardens within the same utility territory, giving subscribers a genuine choice. In newer or smaller markets, only one or two options may be available.