Can you go solar if you rent your property or live in an apartment? The simple answer for renters who want solar panels for their apartment or home is that it is possible! While you may be able to pitch your landlord to install a rooftop solar panel system, community solar is likely your best bet to enjoy the benefits of solar without owning your roof space.
Key takeaways about solar power for apartments
- If you’re a renter, subscribing to a community solar project is your best option for going solar.
- Community solar projects are large, off-site solar farms that you can subscribe to.
- Interested in joining a community solar farm? Browse the our community solar marketplace for local projects to help you save on electricity.
How to go solar as a renter: try community solar!
When looking for alternative ways to go solar, other than giving your landlord a call and talking through an installation on your apartment complex or leased home, community solar (also known as roofless solar, solar gardens, or shared solar) is a great option for you to consider.
A community solar project is a large, central solar power plant, whose electricity is shared by more than one property. While the size of a residential solar installation is measured in kilowatts, community solar projects are measured in megawatts, meaning that a single community solar project can power hundreds (or even thousands!) of properties – rented and owned.
Since you don’t need to have a suitable rooftop for solar to participate in a community solar project, it’s a great option for renters and people who live in shared housing. When you purchase a share of or subscribe to a community solar project, you can benefit from solar and pay less for electricity, even without panels on your own roof.
How do you get billed for community solar?
It’s counterintuitive, but in the vast majority of community solar situations, you’ll actually receive two separate electric bills each month once you subscribe to a community solar project – one from your utility (your standard bill) and one from your community solar provider. Your utility bill will, for the most part, look pretty normal. On the other hand, your community solar bill will summarize your earned credits and what you owe for the credits. These charges not only depend on how much your share of the solar farm generated over the billing period, but also your subscription structure. Read more about community solar billing to understand the intricacies of this product.
Benefits of solar panels for apartments
While you may not be able to save nearly as much money with community solar as you would with a rooftop solar system over several decades, there are many compelling reasons to consider joining a community solar farm as a renter. Namely, you’ll still save money on electric bills, you’ll have flexible contract options, and you can support the local development of clean energy.
Save money on your electricity bills
One of the biggest advantages of community solar is the electric bill savings. The amount you can save with community solar varies depending on several factors, including but not limited to:
- The pricing model of the program you participate in
- Your current electricity rates
- The cost of your community solar purchase or subscription
- How much electricity you receive from the community solar farm.
Many community solar subscribers and portion owners save anywhere from 5 to 15 percent off of their typical electricity bills. However, some community solar programs may be more expensive than your current electricity bill, so it’s important to evaluate both expected monthly bills and long-term savings as you’re deciding whether or not to join a community solar farm.
Community solar options are flexible
One of the historic roadblocks to widespread community solar adoption has been the program and contract structure. Many community solar programs used to include long-term contracts with high cancellation fees, making it difficult for customers to commit by making the cancellation process difficult. These days, community solar companies are constantly opening new programs that remove these barriers. These newer programs often allow customers to opt into shorter-term contracts and simplify the overall process of canceling or transferring a contract.
Support local clean energy development
Community solar programs help support local renewable energy jobs and project development in your area by connecting you directly to clean energy projects in your community. The more projects around you that fill up and go live, the more clean energy gets connected to your local grid, and the more electric customers who can keep relying on solar power.
Compare your apartment solar options today
If you’re a renter looking to benefit from solar, the best way to start is to compare community solar projects available to you on the EnergySage Community Solar Marketplace. You can filter by all sorts of project details, read about individual developers and panel locations, and compare your estimated yearly savings by subscribing. Get started today to start saving money on electric bills, even as a renter.
