Renting solar may sound like a weird abstract topic, but it’s actually one of Maryland’s ways to bring Low to Medium Income(LMI) households into the solar array. Through the Maryland Community Solar Program, residents can subscribe to a shared solar farm and receive solar credits on their electric bill. This is perfect for those in an atypical solar situation where, instead of needing to own land, a building, or an ideal roof, they can benefit from a large solar project.

How it Works

The first step in this process is generating solar energy: Your portion of the solar farm generates electricity and sends it to the grid.

Second is the electric bill: Your electric company will apply your solar earnings and then charge you the remainder of the bill.

Finally, the solar company: The company that provides the solar farm will bill you for the credits earned at a discount(5-25%).

After reading this, you may ask: If I’m renting solar, what happens to the bill during cloudy months?

In Maryland, you aren’t actually paying to rent the space, but you’re paying for the solar credits your space produces. This makes it a big win for those in LMI housing, eliminating risks and upfront costs that installing your own solar can bring.

References

https://opc.maryland.gov/Consumer-Learning/Renewable-Energy-Solar/Community-Solar

https://energy.maryland.gov/Pages/MarylandCommunitySolar.aspx

https://mdcommunitysolar.org/