Please note that while Community Solar has been approved in Delaware, there are not currently any community solar projects that are operational in Delmarva Power territory. Please check back in the future as more projects are developed.
What is community solar?
A community solar project is a large solar project whose electricity is shared by a community of people. While the size of a residential solar (or rooftop) solar installation is measured in kilowatts, community solar projects are measured in megawatts (one megawatt = one thousand kilowatts). This means that a single community solar project can provide hundreds of homes access to clean energy.
This model allows local communities to benefit from solar energy without installing panels on individual homes. Community Solar is also often referred to as roofless solar, solar gardens, solar farms, or shared solar.
Is Community Solar for me?
Community Solar allows individuals to enjoy some advantages of solar energy without installing their own solar energy system. Community solar projects provide an alternative to rooftop PV systems for customers who:
- Have insufficient solar resources (such as too much shading or other factors) or roof conditions to support a rooftop PV system (such as roof size or other factors)
- Do not own their homes or buildings
- Are unable or unwilling to install an on-site solar PV system for financial or other reasons.
Delaware Electric Cooperative Community Solar
The Delaware Electric Cooperative (DEC) offers a community solar program to their members. Through this program their members will be able to power their properties with renewable energy without installing a solar system themselves. Through their program, residential members who sign up will pay an extra $10 a month on their electric bill. Commercial members who sign up can purchase blocks of renewable energy for $10 a piece. For more information on this program please visit the program website.