Subscribe to a Community Solar Garden
Subscribing to a Community Solar Garden is an easy way for residents and businesses to get access to clean, local energy without the hassle and up front cost of installing solar on your roof.
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Frequently Asked
Questions
Community Solar gardens are off-site solar arrays that produce energy sent to the electric grid, so individuals and organizations can subscribe to the energy produced at a reduced rate. A community solar subscription allows community members to offset their electricity usage with solar. Energy is produced at a reduced rate at the community solar garden, and savings are applied as credits to the subscriber’s monthly energy bill.
There is no cost to the customer to participate in Community Solar. The Customer only pays for a portion of the solar credits applied to their bill back to the Community Solar Garden owner, saving the difference and resulting to 10% savings on their electricity.
We understand this feels too good to be true, but we’ve been developing these community solar gardens for almost a decade in Minnesota. This program is regulated by the Public Utilities Commission and all rates are published so your saving can be locked in from the start. This is a great program for those who can’t install solar on their home, and it’s a small way to save a few dollars while supporting solar.
To sign up you will need to provide Common Energy with your Xcel Energy Account Number and Premise Number; both can be found on your monthly Xcel invoice.
No, your Solar Garden Agreement has a 1-year contract that will auto renew unless terminated by the customer.
Yes!
Yes, the customers’ entire Xcel bill transfers over to the online portal.
It will depend on if you are moving to an eligible area. If not, you may need to give a 90-day notice.
No, the Community Solar subscription agreement is valid for the life of the solar array (25 years).
Please call your garden’s online portal provider (Common Energy or Arcadia) with any bill related issues.
Contact Xcel Energy for updates on when power will be restored to your area. Please note that subscriptions are only a program that helps you save a bit of money on your bill, and your actual energy still comes from Xcel’s grid per usual.
You can cancel this subscription at any time, by providing a 90-day notice and no penalty assessed.
No, your garden’s online portal provider (Common Energy or Arcadia) will notify the termination from the Community Solar Garden to Xcel on the customers’ behalf. The customer will start receiving invoices directly from Xcel 60-90 days after termination.
