First off, what is community solar? This is a way for an individual to invest in solar without actually adding solar to their own home. When someone opts-in to a community solar project, they are getting a portion of the power from a local solar farm based on their power needs. These systems are connected to the existing grid and in some cases will have power storage on hand to still provide power in case of grid failure.
In California, a new bill has reached the Governor’s office requiring utilities to build these community solar programs. AB 2316 would service over 100,000 customers as a way of providing solar energy through community projects from off-site installations. Beyond placing solar out in fields, it can also be placed in areas such as landfills and former industrial sites. Of course projects like these take time and a lot of resources with the added pressure of electricity needs being at an all time high with the introduction of more and more electric vehicles. For now, it seems that the trend is pushing more towards these types of projects being implemented throughout the US but only time will tell when it comes to them being mandated through law.
With anything, there are positives and negatives. This is a great way for those that don’t have the financial means to be involved in solar. However, if it becomes mandated for those that don’t want to be part of that program and would prefer to have their own solar system, they are no longer afforded the customization of having their own system and are still reliant on the utility company.
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