6
Vent: I called bull on community solar until I saw my neighbor's bill
My buddy in Denver signed up for a community solar program and I figured it was just a scam to make folks feel good. Then he showed me his August electric bill was $32 compared to my $145 for the same house size. Has anyone else seen actual savings from these shared solar projects?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
drews558d ago
Wait is community solar actually that good? I gotta say I was the same way, I thought it was just marketing hype or some weird subscription thing that would nickel and dime you. But my cousin in Minnesota did it and his bills dropped like a rock. He was paying like $180 in the summer and now it's maybe $60 on the really hot months. The thing is you don't even own the panels you just buy a share of the power. I was skeptical about the whole "shared" part but the numbers don't lie when you see it on paper. The savings keep going too because the credits roll over if you produce more than you use.
6
caseywalker8d ago
Just check the fine print on exit fees. @drews55 got lucky with his cousin's setup but some of these contracts lock you in for 20 years with a 3% yearly escalator. Read the cancellation policy twice. The credits rolling over part is legit though. I had 400 kWh banked by October last year and it covered almost all of December. The key is finding a program where you're not paying for the subscription fees upfront. Some of them sneak in monthly admin charges that eat half your savings.
8