and real savings on your electric bill. Here's how the next few months unfold.
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Step 1
You're signed up!
Over the next 2 weeks- We calculate your solar share based on your past electricity usage.
- You'll receive an email to set up your Neighborhood Sun account, where you can manage your subscription, view savings, and access documents.
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Step 2
Receive your first solar credits
Typically 1-3 Months- If your solar farm isn't yet operating, you'll be emailed updates on its status and power generation.
- Once your solar farm is live, Community Solar Credits will appear on your utility bill, reducing your total amount due to your utility.
- You'll receive a monthly Invoice from us showing how many community solar credits you received, the discount applied to those credits, and how much you owe and saved that month.
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Step 3
Stay connected
Ongoing- Watch for our emails with solar farm and company updates.
- Visit our FAQ page for quick answers.
- Follow us on social for local events and promotions.
Your Electric Bill + Savings
See an example of what your electric utility bill will look like with your solar credits applied. Plus, see what your invoice for those credits (with your savings applied) from Neighborhood Sun will show.
Frequently Asked Questions
Community Solar sounds too good to be true...what's the catch?
There is no catch! Community Solar is a state-regulated program in over 24 states, and today, there are projects in at least 44 states. Solar developers are incentivized by state policy to share the financial savings of solar energy with community members like yourself, and Neighborhood Sun is the Certified B Corp making it all possible! Neighborhood Sun has saved community solar subscribers more than $10 Million in electricity costs.
Does Community Solar cost me anything?
Nope! There is NO cost to join or cancel and NO equipment to install or maintain. In fact, you're guaranteed to SAVE money on electricity costs every month just by subscribing to Community Solar. You will still pay your current utility provider for the electricity you use, but now you’ll be paying for the energy generated by your share of a local community solar farm (at a guaranteed discount) instead of full-price energy generated by fossil fuels.
Now that I’ve subscribed, what happens to my current utility bill?
You’ll keep getting your monthly electricity bill just like usual. But as soon as your Community Solar Farm is generating power, your utility bill will reflect your Community Solar Credits (CSC) each month, reducing your total amount owed. The CSCs you get from your community solar share typically cover about 90% of your monthly electricity usage. Once we know how many CSCs your electric utility applied to your bill, we'll invoice you for those solar credits, but at a discounted rate, saving you money every month.
How do Community Solar Credits (CSCs) work?
The CSC amount is the dollar value being applied to your utility bill (these might show up on your bill as "CS Credit" or "Community Solar Bill Credit". The amount reduced from your bill represents your CSCs, and your discount on the CSCs varies depending on the terms of the community solar farm you're subscribed to and your income level. The amount of CSCs you receive will depend on how much electricity your community solar farm has generated that month and how much electricity you used.
How does community solar benefit my community?
Our current energy system doesn’t distribute benefits and costs equally, passing profits up the ladder to utility executives while subjecting already disadvantaged minority communities to disproportionate health, financial, and environmental costs. Instead, community solar distributes cost savings to all stakeholders involved (like yourself) while making clean, local energy accessible to ALL people, regardless of their income or homeownership status. Learn more.
How do I know if my community solar farm is fully constructed and generating credits?
Log into your Neighborhood Sun account and click on “Solar Farm” in the top right corner. If your “Construction Status” is listed as “Generating Discounted Clean Energy,” you should be seeing solar credits soon!
The Best Way to Stay Up-to-Date
Your Neighborhood Sun account is your one-stop-spot for your community solar subscription. Log in with the email you used at signup to see and manage everything. Plus, download the free Neighborhood Sun app to easily access your account:
- View Monthly & All-Time Savings
- Track Environmental Impact
- Receive Monthly Statement Notifications
- Stay Informed with Solar Farm Updates & Events
- Easily Update and Review Account Details
- Earn Exclusive Cash Rewards
Become a Solar Advocate & Earn Rewards
As an individual, you can make a difference... but as a community, we can make a movement.
Once your home is no longer powered by fossil fuels, the next best thing you can do is to show others that they can do the same.
Share any feedback with us by emailing stakeholdersmatter@neighborhoodsun.solar
Leave a Google Review
A lot of people think community solar sounds too good to be true so they want to hear from real people like you! Leave a Google Review here.
Leave a ReviewJoin our Community Advocacy Board (CAB)
Click here to learn more about our community advocacy board and sign up to be notified of our quarterly meetings on Zoom. As a CAB member, you’ll get the chance to share feedback, ask questions directly to our team, get exclusive company updates, access climate advocacy resources, and connect with fellow subscribers.
Learn MoreRefer Friends & Neighbors
Help them access the benefits of community solar! Share the referral link directly from your Neighborhood Sun account to earn $50 when you help a friend sign up or enter their email address at neighborhoodsun.solar/refer
Earn Rewards
Welcome to the brighter side of energy, Neighbor!
At Neighborhood Sun, we're on a mission to make clean, affordable energy accessible to ALL. Thanks to you, we're now one step closer to our goal. By joining our solar community, you're participating in a nationwide movement working toward a cleaner and more equitable energy future where renewables are for everyone and sunshine can be turned into real savings for people like you and me.
Though my journey as a climate advocate started back in 2000, it wasn't until I founded Neighborhood Sun in 2016 that I was able to work on addressing the intersection of climate change and energy equity. Since lower-income households are impacted disproportionately by the harmful economic and health effects of our current energy model despite typically contributing the least to overall carbon emissions, it's a priority for us to ensure people of all income levels are included in today's clean energy solutions. As such, we see the transition to clean energy as an opportunity to democratize our energy system and make sure it's helping communities instead of harming them. That's where community solar comes in and why it's been our single focus for the past seven years.
Neighborhood Sun has helped our subscribers save more than $10 Million on their electricity costs by switching to community solar. We manage innovative equity-focused projects like community solar farms that are dedicated 100% to serving low- and moderate-income (LMI) households. Our solar projects range from being located on capped landfills, carparks in affordable housing communities, school rooftops, a retired horse farm, and everything in between. Our work also addresses energy equity issues for income-qualified households and organizations by offering them higher savings. We're excited to support and collaborate with universities, businesses, organizations, nonprofits, and faith groups that share our values as they work towards a better future for the communities they serve.
When we equip communities and individuals with the tools they need to create a cleaner energy future where they can be free from fossil fuels, we ALL win. That's why I'm asking you to commit to reaching out to a few friends and neighbors to let them know about this great way to fight climate change, support local solar, and save money, all just by paying your electric bill. You should have received an email from us that includes your unique referral link. With your help, we're making history and hopefully protecting our future too.
Gary Skulnik, CEO & Founder
Gary Skulnik, CEO & Founder of Neighborhood Sun