This document provides an introduction to community solar projects. It discusses various community solar models including neighborhood bulk purchases of solar panels, community supported energy where investors own solar arrays, and solar gardens where subscribers receive credits for the energy generated. The document outlines the benefits of these models for homeowners, renters, businesses, and those in shaded areas. It also discusses how to become a solar gardener to help organize these projects and find host sites and subscribers. Training and resources are available to support this work. The overall goal is to promote affordable and accessible solar energy for all.

1. Joy Hughes – Solar Gardens
Institute
Introduction to
Community Solar

2. Why Local Solar?
Make it a
community
decision

3. Sprouting up Everywhere
Maps showing community solar interest

4. Rooftop Bulk Purchase
• Neighborhood residents
band together
• Installers bid for a large
number of roofs
• Economy or scale saves
money
• Example: Solarize Portland

5. Community Supported Energy
University Park, Maryland
• Good for houses of
worship, municipal
buildings, nonprofits
• A group of small
investors owns the array
and sells power to the
church
• Sample Legal documents
available FREE

6. Solar
Gardens
• Subscription model - Suitable for HOA’s, renters,
affordable housing, shaded locations, and historic districts
• Distributed Generation – Rooftop or ground mount
system connects to local power lines or substation
• Virtual Net Metering – Credit directly on the
subscribers bill for subscriber’s portion of the array

7. Cooperatives
• Small investors together provide capital
for community solar arrays
• “Sponsorship” for subscribers in any solar
garden

8. Solar Gardeners
Program
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park
• A solar gardener is both a community organizer
and project manager
• Find host sites and subscribers for solar gardens
and community supported energy
• Form a local initiative through Grand Aspirations

9. Solar Gardener Training
• Weekly training sessions – conference calls and
webinars
• Training videos on YouTube: TheSGInstitute
• Request registration form - training@solargardens.org

10. SGI’s Mission
• To educate the public about community solar
energy.
• To promote community solar energy
legislation at the federal level and in each
state
• To assist local organizations in organizing,
developing, and managing community-owned
solar energy projects everywhere.
• To make affordable solar energy available for
all humanity

11. Host Sites
• Near 3-Phase
distribution line,
transformer, or
substation
• Reclaimed landfills and
mines
• About 120-150
kilowatts per acre
• Large roofs
• Industrial sites
"
"
• Retired farmland
• Parking lots, storage
• Water treatment plants
• Airports

12. Subscribers
“Anyone on the grid”
• Must be within
"same county (CO)
"same utility (WA)
• Residential – affluent and moderate income
• Local Businesses and Industry
• Farmers
• Nonprofits, libraries, schools, hospitals,
churches
• Municipal and county buildings

13. Affordable
Community Solar
• For low income and “middle middle class”
• Challenges – income, credit, cash up front
• Sponsors make micro loans to subscribers

14. Can we make solar beautiful?

15. Contact Us
solargardens.org
Joy Hughes – founder – 719-207-3097
joy@solargardens.org
Please sign up for the mailing list

16. Soulardarity Solar Streetlights

17. Contact
• Jackson Koeppel
917-554-3741
jackson.soulardarity@gmail.com

20. Contact
• Timothy DenHerder-Thomas, Grand
Aspirations, (612) 250-1621,
timothy@grandaspirations.org
• Madeleine Wilson, Cooperative Energy
Futures, (612) 807-8789,
madeleine@cooperativeenergyfutures.com

21. Thank You!