Community Solar

Subscribe to a solar farm and get electricity at a discount.

What does community solar mean?

With community solar, a solar electricity system is installed on a suitable roof or parcel of land, and then participants who live elsewhere sign up to get benefits from the system, either by receiving net metering credits or offsets toward their electric bill. Participants save money on electric bills and support clean energy deployment without having to install solar themselves.

Community Solar

Community solar is ideal for:

Homes Without Available Roof Space or Sun Exposure / Renters / Condo Owners / Homeowners Who Want Electricity at a Low Cost

The Technology

How It Works

Click into the logos below to investigate community solar projects in MA. Community solar options through each provider are subject to change based on current availability.
Review terms of any subscription(s) in your area. The State of MA has helpful advice on how to evaluate your choices.
Subscribe to community solar and receive net metering credits or offsets towards your electric bill.
Power your home with low-cost clean electricity and support clean energy deployment.

Video

What Is Community Solar?

EnergySage | 3 min. 45sec.

FIND COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

Select your electric utility: To find community solar projects that may be available to you, select your electric utility in the left sidebar of the map below.
Please note: to enroll in a community solar project, it must be located within the boundaries of your utility territory.
Search for projects: To find projects more likely to be open for enrollment, set Project Status to “Coming Soon.”
Sort by desired criteria: Review the list of projects in the table under the map, sort by column titles for specific project traits or select towns on the map to find projects in specific geographies
Enroll: To enroll in a project you see, you’ll need to apply with the subscription manager that’s registering customers for the project. The Developer listed in the table is often not the same organization that’s managing subscriptions. There are a few ways to find the subscription manager:
- Click on the subscription manager logo in our list below and find the project by its town location
- Make note of the town the project is in & do a search for ”Town Name” Community Solar in a search engine, then look for mention of the subscription company
- Use the approximate zip code of the project’s location to find it on the EnergySage Community Solar Marketplace
Click the “Reset All Filters” button to clear your selections and start another search

Please note that the below listed projects represent community solar projects installed under the SMART incentive program and may not include projects built under prior incentive programs or in municipal utility territories not participating in SMART.

Definitions

Developer: Applicant Company to the SMART program (may not manage subscriptions for the project, see instructions above to look for subscription management company)
Project Status:
- Coming Soon: Project is in construction, may be looking for subscribers
- Operational: Project is operational and interconnected, likely already fully subscribed
Low-Income Focused: 50% of the project capacity must be allocated to either:
- Low income customers (must receive income discounted rate from a distribution company)
- Residents of low income designated Environmental Justice Communities (see this map to see if you live in a low income Environmental Justice Community)
Solar Array Type: Provides information on the location of the solar array, for example if it is mounted on a building, or a ground mount.
Operation Date: Date the project was completed and interconnected to the grid (for “Operational” projects)

Community Solar Marketplace

Community Solar Subscription Managers

Does your company provide community solar subscriptions in MA? If so, email goclean@masscec.com to propose listing your organization here.

Please note MassCEC has absolute discretion to approve or deny a request to list an organization on our website.

*Disclaimer: MassCEC has not investigated, and MassCEC expressly disclaims any duty to investigate any company, product, service, process procedure, design, or other matter regarding community solar presented on this website. The entire risk of use of any installer, equipment vendor, company, product, service, process, procedure, or design is assumed by the customer.

Why Should I Consider community solar?

Joining a local community solar farm is a great way to bring clean energy home.

Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using locally-produced clean electricity

Save on Electricity Bills

You will receive credits every month on your electric bill. The amount credited will depend on the amount of community solar electricity you’ve signed up for

Minimal costs and commitment

Since you won’t need to install solar panels, the upfront costs of going solar with a community solar provider are minimal. It is a subscription service

No Hassle

Anyone who pays their own electric bill, including renters and condo owners, can participate in a community solar project

Other ways to provide clean electricity for your home

Solar Electricity: Installing a solar electricity system on your roof is a great way to transition part or all of your home’s electricity to clean sources. A solar electricity system uses electricity generated on-site by the solar panels to power your home. Installing a solar electricity system may be a larger up-front investment than purchasing clean electricity but pays for itself over time and can become a revenue-generating asset for the owner.

Buy Clean Electricity: Renters or homeowners who are not ready to invest in solar electricity or do not have a suitable roof or parcel of land for solar panels can opt in to purchase their electricity from clean sources, like solar or wind power. Anyone who pays an electric bill, including renters, is eligible to buy clean electricity, helping to increase demand in Massachusetts for clean energy resources.

Clean Energy Solutions for Your Home

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Get Your Guide To A Clean Energy Home

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We’re In This Together

Pledge to reduce your home’s carbon footprint by replacing old systems and appliances with clean energy technologies over time.

I’m on board!

Community Solar