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A residential street with a community solar garden in the distance
Illustrative photo

Understand the credits. Compare the cost.

Community solar connects an eligible electric account to an off-site solar project.

The project generates bill credits, and a subscription can add a separate cost. Compare both before signing.

Explore solar next steps Read the bill guide
  • Off-site solar project
  • Your utility still delivers power
  • Solar is always optional

Looking for a phone? Read about Free Phone & Mobile Service. Phone assistance is independent; community solar is always optional.

How a subscription reaches your bill

  1. Check the account and project

    Confirm your electric utility, who can enroll the account and whether a project has an open subscription for that service territory.

  2. Review the agreement

    Compare the credit value, subscription charge, fees and cancellation terms. Ask whether you will pay one utility bill or two separate bills.

  3. Track credits and payments

    After the project and utility begin processing credits, review the credit and every charge for the same period. Keep paying the bills you owe.

What stays the same

Your utility still delivers electricity and handles outages. In the usual off-site subscription model, you do not install panels on your home. Renters can explore options too.

If electricity is included in rent or the account belongs to someone else, ask the account holder and project how participation and any resident benefit would work.

What changes

The utility bill can show a solar credit. You may also owe a subscription payment, either on that bill or to a separate solar provider.

A lower utility bill alone does not prove savings. Subscription charges and fees can reduce the benefit or make the combined cost higher.

Explore income-qualified pathways

Read the whole cost, not just the credit

The two billing views use identical assumptions. Try a higher subscription charge or add a fee to see how the monthly difference changes.

A discount on the value of solar credits is not the same percentage discount on your whole electric bill. Actual generation, use and billing timing vary.

Read the detailed one-bill and two-bill explanation

Illustrative month, not an offer. Change the amounts to compare credits with all costs. Both views use the same month and amounts. Your project, utility and contract determine which billing arrangement is available.

Illustrative monthly amounts

Amounts are rounded to cents. Use only the credit applied to this month's bill, no higher than the original bill.

Credits and charges on one bill

In this utility-consolidated model, the credit and subscription charge appear on the utility bill.

Utility bill

Illustrative month
Original utility charges
+$200.00
Solar credit applied
−$150.00
Subscription charge
+$135.00
Additional fees
$0.00
Utility bill to pay
$185.00
Combined amount paid
$185.00
Illustrative monthly savings
$15.00

The subscription is 10% below the credit value, before additional fees. The savings equal 7.5% of the original bill after the fees entered here.

Actual usage, project generation, credit timing and fees can change the result. Excess credits may carry forward under utility rules; this example does not assume a cash refund. Compare the utility bill and contract before subscribing.

Questions to settle before signing

Signing creates a binding agreement. Keep the contract and disclosures, and ask the provider to explain anything that is unclear.

Read Treasury’s subscription checklist
  • Which project serves my account, and is a subscription available now?
  • How are my share, credits and subscription charge calculated? Can the price increase?
  • What fees apply, and which bill includes each charge?
  • When do credits start? What happens to excess credits or a delayed credit?
  • How can I cancel or transfer the subscription if I move? Are there fees or notice periods?
  • Who handles billing questions, and what account-holder permission is needed?

Start with your state

State rules and utility territories shape the options.

These are information routes, not a list of confirmed openings or statewide Community Savings coverage.

Minnesota

Subscription charges are normally separate unless the applicable optional consolidated-billing arrangement is selected. Confirm which program and contract apply.

Read Minnesota guidance
Maryland

Consolidated billing is an available option, not automatic for every subscription. Some contracts still use separate bills.

Read Maryland guidance
Delaware

Delmarva applies solar credits to the electric bill. A separate provider subscription bill is currently described in PSC guidance; confirm the arrangement in your agreement.

Read Delaware guidance
Illinois

Projects may bill separately or use an available utility subscription-billing option. Check the offer's disclosure rather than assuming one bill.

Read Illinois guidance
Maine

The utility applies generation credits; the provider sends a separate subscription bill. Fixed charges and unused credits can affect the result.

Read Maine guidance
Rhode Island

A credit appears on the utility bill. The subscription payment arrangement depends on the project; a credit alone does not establish consolidated billing.

Read Rhode Island guidance
New York

Many projects can use separate billing or optional net crediting. Automatic Statewide Solar for All credits have different rules. Confirm the specific arrangement.

Read New York guidance

Common solar questions

Use the optional household inquiry to prepare a general email question. It is not a solar application or enrollment. Share eligibility documents only through the authorized provider’s process.

Prepare a solar question
Will everyone receive the same discount?

No. The project, program and contract determine credit pricing, subscription costs and fees. An illustrative discount is not a statewide offer or a guaranteed reduction of the entire electric bill.

Does being income-qualified mean I am approved?

A preliminary comparison can point to a possible pathway. The actual solar program may use income, benefit participation or geographic rules. The provider or administrator must confirm eligibility, documentation and project availability.

Read about the separate eligibility rules
Why could a credit show up before or after a charge?

Project production, utility processing and invoice dates do not always line up. Compare matching billing periods and ask the provider how it handles delays, unused credits and carry-forward.

Do I have to choose solar to receive phone assistance?

No. Phone & Mobile Service has its own Lifeline eligibility and provider checks. Your utility account and solar decision do not decide phone eligibility.

Explore phone assistance separately

Read DOE’s community-solar basics · Read Treasury’s contract guide

General subscription guidance reviewed November 3, 2026 using DOE and Treasury. See each state page for local sources. Current projects, prices and capacity require separate confirmation.