Community plus solar power generation

How will a new community-owned solar system benefit England and Wales?

Once under new ownership, they will boost England and Wales’ total capacity of community-owned solar power by 20%. And green electricity isn’t the only result. They will also, over their lifetime of at least 20 years, generate approximately £20m in funds to be used specifically for projects that benefit the local communities.

What are the benefits of community-owned solar?

Community-owned solar, especially with added storage, contributes to climate change action, pollution reduction, and energy security, while reducing the relatively high energy burden for low income households.

Why is community solar important?

Community solar adds an important dimension in the transition to decarbonized energy: the power of collective action. The outcome is local participation in energy generation, which makes it possible for everybody to join the solar revolution: renters, apartment dwellers, and others who cannot, for one reason or another, install rooftop solar.

What is community energy?

Community energy is exactly what it sounds like - energy generated by a community for the use of that community. By pooling resources and working together, community energy projects allow local communities to access cheaper energy and improved energy efficiency options, along with adding social and economic benefits to local areas.

What is a community solar garden?

A community solar garden is an example of a distributed energy resource (DER), a device or asset largely on the customer side (behind the meter), consisting of distributed generation, energy efficiency, voltage and frequency control, and storage.

Are community solar gardens a good option?

Within the narrow confines of the economies of scale rationale in renewable energy generation, community solar is the best option. Larger community solar gardens capture the economies of scale benefits, while saving on transmission costs. Given the proper policy support, solar gardens can be deployed rapidly in communities everywhere.