Community Solar

Solar Benefits for All

Community Solar allows almost all utility customers, homeowners, renters, religious institutions, some businesses and nonprofits, to easily benefit from solar.

  • SAVINGS – up to 10% on your electricity bill
  • Support local RENEWABLE ENERGY
  • NO solar installation on your property
  • NO cost to join or cancellation fees
  • Works with any Electricity Supplier, including Westchester Power.
LEARN MORESIGN UP

7 MINUTES to SAVINGS!

  • Simple & straightforward!
  • Choose a project, complete the form!
  • Once the project is operational you begin to SAVE!
SIGN UP

Have any questions about Community Solar or how to enroll, please email: communitysolar@sustainablewestchester.org

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Program Community Solar

What is Community Solar?

Community Solar allows electricity customers – homeowners, renters, nonprofits, houses of worship, and many businesses – to support local, clean energy produced by a community solar project, while benefiting from guaranteed savings! With no cost to join or cancel, Sustainable Westchester Community Solar makes going green easy and accessible.
A community solar project is a large-scale solar installation that collects energy from the sun and transforms it into electricity used to power everything we do in our daily lives. Solar projects are constructed on large commercial rooftops, parking lots, or in open sunny fields to generate electricity in a cost-effective manner. Community solar projects send energy to the local electricity grid, which helps to green the electricity supply that powers our area. By joining Community Solar, you are helping reach New York’s ambitious goal of 70% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% by 2040.

FAQ

How Do I Earn Savings
on My Electricity Bill?

You will be allocated a portion of a community solar project based on your historic annual electricity usage. Once your project begins generating energy, the following will take place each month:

  • The energy generated by your portion of the project earns you a solar credit of monetary value.
  • 90% of the solar credit goes back to the community solar project and ConEd or NYSEG as a subscription fee.
  • You keep 10% of the solar credit as savings, which is applied directly to your monthly electricity bill!

How do Solar Savings appear on electricity bills?

ConEd:  English  |  Spanish

NYSEG:  English  |  Spanish

How Community Solar
Relates to Westchester Power

In Westchester County, Sustainable Westchester’s Community Solar program has been integrated under the Westchester Power (Community Choice Aggregation, CCA) community-based energy program. Westchester Power offers renewable electricity supply on an opt-out basis and community solar on an opt-in (or sign-up) basis. Community solar simply results in savings on your electricity bill and does not replace your electricity supply. It is fully compatible with Westchester Power’s electricity product offering and provides another way for Sustainable Westchester to deliver clean energy benefits to members. In the future, we hope to offer community solar savings on an opt-out basis through the Westchester Power program when regulatory changes allow this. For now, we are pleased to offer opt-out electricity supply and opt-in community solar.

Step by Step

1. Sign up to enroll in a community solar project: click here.

2. Earn credits on your electricity bill for your share of the solar-powered electricity that is produced.

3. Feel good in knowing that you’ve supported solar energy while saving on your bill!

Have questions? Interested in signing up? Reach us at: communitysolar@sustainablewestchester.org or call 914-242-4725 ext. 112.

Program community solar

Testimonials

We chose Community Solar because we aren’t
We chose Community Solar because we aren’t

“We chose Community Solar because we aren’t in a location where we can have panels on our roof. But, Plan B turns out to be a great plan, saving us money as we reduce our carbon footprint.”

MATT ROSENBERG – Community Solar Subscriber

We considered installing solar panels but
We considered installing solar panels but

“We considered installing solar panels but due to our roof’s condition and heavy tree cover on our property, it was not the best option. The sign up for community solar was quick and straightforward and the communication between Con Edison and our community solar provider has been flawless. The monthly saving is exactly what was projected and is a bonus on top of supporting renewable energy.”

SARAH SUSKIN – Community Solar Subscriber

COMMUNITY SOLAR

A Brief Historical Perspective

Sustainable Westchester’s Community Solar program grew out of Solarize Westchester, a leading community-based initiative to accelerate residential and commercial solar adoption. Offered in partnership with Abundant Efficiency, Solarize Westchester resulted in over 600 solar installations in 22 participating municipalities with vetted solar installers.

Despite the success of Solarize Westchester, 85% of the 4,000+ individuals interested in installing solar panels determined it wasn’t the right solution due to shade, roof condition, financial barriers, or other reasons. In addition, all renters and most multi-family property owners were excluded altogether. Sustainable Westchester created its Community Solar program in response, vastly increasing accessibility to renewable energy benefits while providing both immediate and long- term benefits to those subscribed.

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