So, You’ve Joined a Local Solar Farm … Now What?
Congratulations! You’ve taken the first step toward supporting locally-produced, renewable energy and saving on your electric bill. After joining, many people wonder what comes next and how the program will work for them.
Since we help hundreds of people join their state’s community solar program every week, we’ve put together this step-by-step guide explaining the process and what you can expect next.
Welcome Emails
Now that you’ve completed your enrollment and joined a local solar farm, you’ll receive two welcome emails. One from us providing contact info and expectations. And another from the company that runs your solar farm with important account information. If you don’t see these emails, please check your spam folder.
Customer Care Portal
While completing the online enrollment process, you also created login information for your solar farm’s customer portal. This online resource provides important information about your community solar account and savings. You can manage your subscription, track energy production, and connect with their customer care team with any questions.
Your Share of the Farm
Your community solar company will assign you to a local solar farm that matches your needs based on your energy usage over the previous 12 months. They will send you email progress updates on farm construction, go-live dates, and other information so you can track their progress.
Your Farm Goes Live
Time to celebrate! You will receive an email from your community solar company letting you know your farm is live. They will also let you know when to start expecting credits on your electric bill and any other information you need about your account.
Solar Credits
Once your solar farm is live, you’ll automatically start earning solar credits on your utility bill. These credits will be applied to reduce your electric bill on a one-for-one basis. They’re like a reward for supporting local renewable energy! Any unused credits will be banked so they can be applied to your account when the farm produces less electricity..
Your Savings
Expect to wait a couple months after your farm goes live before seeing the savings on your electricity bill. But when you do.. CHA-CHING!!! You will pay your community solar company for the credits you received from the solar farm at a guaranteed discount. This process of paying less for a credit you received ensures your savings.
Flexible Agreement Terms
One of the great things about community solar is the flexibility it offers. Your community solar company has committed to your savings for the life of the farm, but you have options. Because the connection is virtual, you can cancel and leave the program at any time with no penalty. You can increase or decrease the number of credits you receive if your electricity use changes. You can take your subscription and credits with you if you move within the same utility service area..
