Minnesota Solar*Rewards Community – Community Solar Program
The Minnesota Solar Rewards Community Program is an initiative designed to foster the growth of Community Solar
Solar Gardens by Syncarpha is the name of the Community Solar program founded and owned by Syncarpha Capital. Syncarpha develops, constructs, owns, and operates solar distributed generation systems throughout the United States and Canada.
As a Community Solar subscriber, you, alongside several other residents receive a "share" of the energy output of an off-site solar project at no upfront cost. Your "share" size will cover about 85-90% of your annual electricity usage.
Each month, you will receive credit on your electric bills for the electricity produced by your share of the solar panels, reducing what you pay your utility provider.
Then you're invoiced separately for the credits you received at a guaranteed discount. You only pay for credits after they're applied to your electric bill which makes Community Solar a great renewable energy option.
Community Solar is for homeowners, renters, and businesses who want to support the growth of local, renewable energy while saving money on electricity without having to install solar panels on their rooftops or property.
Studies have shown that up to 80% of consumers cannot install panels on their rooftops for a variety of reasons: the initial up-front costs may be too high, their roofs may not face the right direction, or they rent their homes. Community Solar offers these customers a way to access solar energy benefits regardless of these restrictions.
No, you will still receive electricity through your current electric utility provider; there's no need to cancel or change!
Solar Gardens will send its solar energy directly to your utility, then your utility will credit your electric bill.
There is no catch and it is free to subscribe to a Community Solar project with Solar Gardens.
It's a win-win situation where subscribers can support renewable energy and reduce electricity costs while developers can build with confidence knowing they have a community dedicated to purchasing their discounted solar energy.
Yes! Even if you don't own your home, you can still join Community Solar with Solar Gardens. As long as you live in the same utility service area as the project, you can subscribe. Plus, if you move within the same utility service area, you can take your subscription with you.
There's no cost to join with Solar Gardens! There are no annual fees or maintenance fees either. You simply join for free, then purchase the solar credits you receive (these credits reduce your electric bill) at a guaranteed discount.
This means that you can enjoy the benefits of solar energy without worrying about the upfront costs of installing solar panels on your own property. Joining Solar Gardens is an easy and affordable way to support clean energy and reduce your carbon footprint.
Every Community Solar provider has different eligibility criteria based on State/Utility. Here, we will help you determine if you're eligible to join with Solar Gardens.
You are eligible to join Solar Gardens if:
1) You are a Massachusetts resident receiving electricity through National Grid or Eversource West
2) You are a Maine resident receiving electricity through Central Maine Power
3) You are a Minnesota resident receiving electricity through Xcel Energy and you reside within Dodge or Clara City or an adjacent county
If you need help determining your eligibility, we'd be happy to help! Send us an email or give us a call:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (888) 557-6527
Enrollment is easy and can be completed in just a few minutes from your computer. Our enrollment form will walk you through the entire process but feel free to reach out to our support team for enrollment assistance.
No, when you join Community Solar, you're not buying physical solar panels as you would when installing panels on your roof. Instead, you are committing to purchase a share of the solar energy that the project produces, but at a discount. It's a cost-effective and sustainable way for anyone to support clean energy.
Congratulations on joining Community Solar with Solar Gardens!
Here's what you can expect next:
1. Confirmation: Once you've completed the online enrollment process, you'll receive a confirmation email from us. Please confirm that it was you who enrolled by clicking the "confirm" button. This email will also have important information about your subscription, including your customer ID, payment details, and other relevant information.
2. Verification & Subscription Sizing: Our operations team will review the information you provided at enrollment and verify your utility account's eligibility. We will then allot the appropriate amount of solar energy to your account to maximize your savings potential.
This process can take a couple of days to a few weeks depending on the completeness or accuracy of your information.
3. Utility Interconnection: After verification, we will send your information to your existing utility provider to connect your account to our solar project.
4. Credits Begin Generating: If the project you selected is constructed and operating, then your account will begin generating credits within a month to a couple of months. It generally takes about 2-3 billing cycles after the project is interconnected with the utility company for you to start receiving credits on your electric bill. This delay is due to the time required for the utility company to process the interconnection paperwork and update their billing systems. Additionally, the utility company may also have a billing cycle that does not align with the solar project's production cycle. However, rest assured that you will receive the full value of your credits once they begin applying to your bill.
Note: If the project you selected at enrollment is not fully constructed or operating, you will see no change in your standard electric bills. We will notify you on the progress of your project so we highly recommend you stay subscribed to our emails so you don't miss out on project updates. Again, there's no additional cost you have to worry about in the meantime.
5. Billing: You will continue to receive an electric bill from your existing utility provider while you wait to receive your credits and throughout the duration of your subscription. After credits are generated to your account, you will notice a reduced electric bill amount to your utility provider due to the credits you've generated. You will then receive an invoice from Solar Gardens for those same credits at a discount to what you normally would have paid your utility.
Note: You can access your MySolar Account at any time to view your information, payment methods, invoices, cumulative savings, etc.
6. Support: If you have any questions or concerns about your subscription, our customer support team is available to help. You can contact us via email or phone and we'll be happy to assist you. If you call or email outside standard office hours, we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Note: Solar Gardens receives a high volume of calls and emails throughout the day. Please leave us a message and allow up to 1-3 business days for us to get back to you. If for any reason you can't get in touch with our customer support team, you can email [email protected]
Solar credits, also known as virtual net metering or Community Solar credits, resemble the value of your solar energy production from a project. The amount of credits you receive on your electric bill will vary each month as your solar project production varies each month.
For example:
Summer Months: more sun and longer days will result in more production from your solar project. Translation: you receive more credits and save more money on electricity.
Winter Months: less sun and shorter days will result in less production from your solar project. Translation: you receive fewer credits and save less money on electricity.
As a Solar Gardens subscriber, you will receive a guaranteed discount for your solar credits for the entirety of the project's lifetime (15-20 years).
Your discount rate can vary between 10-15% depending on your project. When selecting an available solar garden, this discount will be reflected and if you're a Solar Gardens subscriber, you can check your discount rate on your Community Solar agreement.
For example:
1) In one month, you produce $300 worth of electricity
2) Your utility provider bills you $300 minus the value of your credits ($280) = you now pay your utility provider $20
3) You purchase your credits from Solar Gardens ($280) but at a discount (15%*) = you pay Solar Gardens $238
4) Your total electricity payment in this one month is $258 rather than $300, saving you $42
*The 15% discount used in this example may not be your exact discount rate.
Solar Gardens credit discounts by State:
Maine: 15%
Massachusetts: 10%
Minnesota: 10%
At Solar Gardens, we operate using a two-bill system, a standard across most Community Solar providers. This means that you will receive two separate bills for your electricity usage:
- One bill from your utility company for the delivery of your electricity (this bill is reduced with your solar credits)
- One from Solar Gardens for the solar credits you received
The bill from your utility company covers the remaining electricity you use that is not covered by your solar subscription. This bill is based on your actual electricity usage and the rate set by your utility company.
The bill from Solar Gardens covers the cost of your solar credits (the value of the energy your panels produce). This bill is based on the size of your solar subscription and is typically lower than your standard utility bill without Community Solar. By using a two-bill system, Solar Gardens allows you to take advantage of the benefits of solar energy while still maintaining a relationship with your utility company. It also provides transparency and clarity in billing, so you can easily track your energy usage and savings.
Even on cloudy days and during the winter months, solar energy is still produced, just at a lower rate. During those months, you simply won't receive as large a credit as you might receive during sunnier months.
Remember - you haven't paid anything upfront and only pay - at a discount - as credits are produced and allocated to your account.
Every Solar Gardens subscriber has an individual MySolar Account that can be accessed at any time to view invoices, cumulative savings, payment info, and subscription agreements.
To log in to your account, you can click here or log in through the link on the top right of our website.
You will use the email address and password you used when you enrolled, but if you have any issues, you can follow the help links on the page or contact our support team.
Moves happen - we get that. While our agreements will differ by State and Program, in all cases, we provide flexibility for customers who need to move. If you move locally, your Community Solar credits and savings move with you! If you're moving outside the service area and need to switch utility providers, you can transfer your credits to someone else or cancel the agreement at no cost with a timely notice outlined in your signed agreement.
For assistance, get in touch with our support team and we'll walk you through your options.
Get started with your free enrollment by entering your ZIP Code to find a nearby Solar Garden
The Minnesota Solar Rewards Community Program is an initiative designed to foster the growth of Community Solar
The Maine Net Energy Billing Program (NEB) supports Community Solar by providing a framework through which participants
The SMART ( Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target ) Program is an initiative by Massachusetts to promote the
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