Answers to The Most Common Community Solar Questions 

Community solar is one of the fastest-growing sustainable energy alternatives in the U.S. — and one of the most exciting options for homeowners, renters, and businesses who want to save money with clean energy. Here, we've compiled answers to the most common questions customers have about community solar.

Community Solar FAQ

Questions about community solar? Find your answers here.

How does community solar work?

States around the U.S. are investing in renewable energy, making it possible for residents to benefit from solar for their homes and businesses. One of those investments is in community solar, through which customers can subscribe to a small portion of a solar project built near their community. The energy generated by the solar project is purchased by customers' electric utilities, and subscribers are left with a guaranteed discount on their electric costs for the lifetime of their subscription.

Can enrolling in community solar help me save on my energy bills?

By enrolling in community solar, you can save up to 10 percent on your electric costs.

What's the process for determining my energy savings?

Your savings depend on how much of the solar array you've subscribed to as part of your membership, and IGS Energy determines how much of the project to subscribe to you based on your annual electric usage. Your savings also depend on the electricity production of the solar project. You can expect to see larger credits in the summer months, when solar production is higher, and smaller credits in the winter months, when solar production is lower.

If I choose community solar, is anything installed at my home?

No! One of the greatest benefits of joining a community solar program is that nothing will be installed or added to your home. As a community solar customer, you're supporting solar energy with guaranteed savings on your electric bill — all without the expense of installation.

Do I need to update or adjust my utility account?

There's no need to adjust your utility account. Once you've subscribed to community solar, IGS Energy notifies your utility on your behalf. And you'll start to see your discounts applied to your electric bill automatically after your community solar project is turned on. Based on your billing cadence, you may see a delay of one to two billing cycles before your credits are automatically applied to your electric bill.

What changes will I see on my electric utility bill?

Great question! As a community solar subscriber, you'll continue to receive your electric bill from your utility just as you do today. The difference you'll notice is that, once your solar project is turned on, credits from your subscribed share of the community solar project are automatically applied to your utility bill.  Through your membership, you'll pay IGS 90 percent of the value of those solar credits generated by your subscription, saving you 10 percent of your subscription's production each month.

If I enroll in community solar with IGS Energy, how do you manage my subscription over time?

IGS Energy wants its community solar customers to receive the full benefits of this program. If our experts notice the amount of production we've reserved for you is significantly lower than your monthly electric usage, we may update your account to increase the value of your subscription. This change won't cost you anything — and will guarantee you even more savings! If we notice you aren't using as much electricity as we expected, we may lower your subscription to make sure we aren't reserving too much of the solar array for your household. If any of these changes are significant, we will reach out to you to sign a new agreement with an updated subscription amount.

Will my account be connected to my name or my meter number?

Your community solar account is connected to your meter number.

What happens if I move?

Because your account is connected to your meter number, your subscription might end if you move. Before you move, please reach out to IGS Energy; we'll let you know if you're moving to an area that qualifies for your current community solar project. If so, you can keep your current subscription and continue saving money each month! If you're moving out of the area, we can transfer or cancel your subscription with no fees or added costs.

How long can I be on this program?

A customer's agreement with IGS Energy is for 20 years.