Are there hidden fees with community solar?

No. There is no cost to join, no deposit, no equipment fee and no installation charge. The trade-offs are the discount applying only to supply charges, a delay before credits begin, and seasonal variation in credit amounts.

What's the catch with community solar?

Q: What's the catch with community solar?

The savings apply to the supply portion of your bill rather than the total, credits take two to three billing cycles to begin, the amount varies with the seasons, and in Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Delaware you receive two bills instead of one. There are no hidden fees and no cost to join.

There are four, and none of them are hidden fees. Here they are up front.

Brighter Bills · Energy savings guides

Catch 1: the savings are on part of your bill, not all of it

Your bill has a supply side and a delivery side. Community solar discounts the supply side. Delivery charges stay exactly the same. So a "10% discount" is 10% off part of your bill, not off the total. Anyone telling you otherwise is selling too hard.

Catch 2: it takes a couple of months to start

Credits usually appear within two to three billing cycles. If the solar project is still being built, longer. Nobody sees a lower bill the month after they sign up.

Catch 3: the amount changes every month

Your credits come from actual solar production. Long summer days produce more than short winter ones, so your credit is bigger in July than in January. Over a year it evens out, but month to month it moves.

Catch 4: in some states, you'll get two bills

In Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Delaware, community solar is a two-bill program. Your utility bill comes as usual with the solar credits deducted from it, and your solar provider bills you separately for those credits at a discount.

It's more paperwork than a single bill, and it's the thing people find most annoying about community solar. You still come out ahead — the discount is real — but you have to add the two bills together to see it. If two bills a month would bother you, factor that in before you sign up.

In New York, New Jersey and Illinois this isn't a catch at all — it's a single bill. Here's how to tell which applies to you.

And there's a contract

You're agreeing to buy the credits your share produces. Terms vary by provider. The thing to check before signing is the cancellation clause — how much notice, and whether there's a fee. Good programs let you leave with notice and no penalty.

What isn't a catch

No cost to join. No deposit, no equipment fee, no installation.
Nothing on your property. The panels are at the solar farm.
Your utility doesn't change. Same company, same outage number, same service.
Renters qualify. You need an electric account in your name, not a deed.

Who it doesn't make sense for

Straight answer: if your electric bill is very small, the discount won't amount to much and it may not be worth the paperwork. If you're moving soon, check the transfer and cancellation terms first. And if you already have rooftop solar covering your usage, you don't need this.

See the actual terms for your address

We'll show you the discount, the contract length, and the cancellation terms for whatever project serves your utility — before you decide anything.

Check if I qualify

Brighter Bills is an independent referrer. When you enroll you'll be taken to Ampion's secure enrollment page — you may see VoltEra or Altus Power named there; they're the licensed providers running the projects. We never handle your money, your bill, or your account.