In-Progress: Community Solar Project
One of Network for a Sustainable Tomorrow’s priorities is promoting community solar, which allows renters and homeowners of all income levels to benefit from solar development. For reasons outside of our control, our previous project in Dickinson fell through; but are excited to bring a new community solar opportunity to anyone who pays a NYSEG bill:
We are currently collaborating with Nexamp to subscribe residents to a community solar project in Aurelius, NY scheduled to come online in Fall 2024. This community solar project allows you to support solar power without installation! Your energy will be sourced from an upstate off-site solar array. You will support the solar developer with your NYSEG payment and in return, receive 10-20% annual savings on your electric bill in the form of credits from Nexamp. Learn more on Nexamp’s website. Sign up for the project using the form below! If you have any questions, please see our FAQ section or leave a comment.
If you participate in social benefit programs such as LIHEAP, HEAP, TANF, SSI and/or SNAP, or are within a geo-eligible area (highlighted in blue), you are eligible for savings of 20% of your electric bill (this means income verification is not needed).
| 80% Area Median Income Guidelines By Household Size Per County Based on EmPower Eligibility Guidelines | |
|---|---|
| Household Size | Broome, Chenango, Tioga, and Delaware Counties |
| 1 | $49,700 |
| 2 | $63,520 |
| 3 | $78,464 |
| 4 | $93,408 |
| 5 | $108,352 |
| 6 | $123,296 |
| 7 | $49,700 |
| 8 | $63,520 |
| 9 | $78,464 |
| 10 | $93,408 |
How community solar works:
Community Solar FAQs
What is Community Solar? Solar panels are installed at a site in your community instead of on individual roofs. The clean energy generated by the community solar project is fed into the local power grid. That reduces the amount of fossil fuels that need to be burned to produce electricity in New York. Area residents can subscribe to the community solar project and get credits on their regular utility bill for the clean energy produced. Depending on the community solar project size, dozens or even hundreds of community members can subscribe to a single project.
How does the 20% discount work? The discount appears on your bill as a negative charge under miscellaneous charges. You will receive the 20% discount over the course of the year.
Do I need to install anything? No. The community solar project is installed at a site in your area, but nothing needs to be installed at your home. There are no changes to your electric service, no new wires or equipment, and no one needs to come to your home from the utility or program.
If I sign up for this, is it binding? Filling out a form from the NeST website is non-binding, and simply allows you to get in a queue. Subscribing through the developer’s website and receiving a contract is binding.
What if I don’t know if I qualify for the project? You should still sign up for the project and we will circle back.
Is there a cap # of people? Different projects will have different caps based on the electricity generating capacity of the project
What is a bill credit?Your utility purchases the energy generated by the community solar project and money is distributed to community solar project members in the form of credits that show up on your electricity bill. Your bill will show the credited amount in dollars, and will explain how many kWh (kilowatt-hours) of electricity were generated by your community solar subscription that month.
How soon will I see the discount? Within 4 months after the project is up and running, traditionally, but can very based on the specific project.
Do I need to do anything to redeem my bill credits? No. The credits will automatically show up on your monthly electricity bill from your utility.
How will the solar energy get to my home? The clean energy generated by the community solar project will be fed into the local power grid operated by your utility. That means a portion of the electricity you already receive from your utility will now come from locally produced solar energy, reducing the amount of fossil fuels burned in New York State.
Am I changing my utility? No. You keep your account with your current electricity provider.
Do I need to let my utility know I’m signing up for this? No. we will inform your utility on your behalf. You don’t need to call your utility or switch anything with your electric account. You don’t need to provide any information beyond what is in the application.
Who operates the community solar project? NeST’s community solar partners include Nexamp and Citizen’s Energy, who operate their respective projects.
Will I still have electricity on cloudy days? How about at night? Yes, because you will still be getting your electricity from the grid operated by your utility, you don’t need to worry about not having electricity if it isn’t sunny outside.
If utility lines go down in my area, will I still have power because I have solar energy? No, you will still have the utility’s power lines going into your home. If there is an interruption in utility service, it will still affect your home.
How will I get updates about this to actually sign up? We will be in contact periodically to provide updates on the project.
How will I know if I am eligible? Our community solar partners will review your application and let you know the savings you are eligible for.
What is the exact discount? High/moderate income households: 10%, low income households: 20% off your electric bill annually.
How do I cancel, are there fees if I do? There are no fees for cancellation. Once you sign a contract, the utility has 90 days to put the credit on your bill. It could take as much as 4 months to see the benefit or quit the project.
