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    Community Solar in Maine

    Accessible, off-site clean energy benefits for local residents and businesses.
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    What is community solar?

    Unlike traditional solar, where solar panels are placed on a property, community solar projects are installed in an off-site location. Then, anyone in your designated area can access the benefits of that clean energy: renters, homeowners, businesses, nonprofits and more.

    DSD Community Solar

    Development, Operation & Interconnection

    DSD Renewables builds and operates community solar projects in the communities we serve. DSD is also responsible for interconnecting the project with the local utility.

    Initial Subscription Sign-Up

    Local residents and businesses subscribe to a portion of a community solar project directly with DSD.

    Interconnection

    The energy generated by the subscriber’s community solar project allocation is directly fed into the state’s electricity grid. The polluting power on the grid is replaced with clean electrons from solar energy, which helps alleviate dependence on fossil fuels. This means that the solar energy produced from a community solar project is not actually fed into an individual property, but is enjoyed by your wider community in Maine.

    Solar Energy Production Monitoring

    The utility monitors production from the community solar project, and allocates bill credits to DSD subscribers proportionally to their allocation of the project capacity.

    Billing & Crediting

    Subscribers receive credits on their regular monthly utility bill and are billed for those credits at a predetermined, discounted rate--saving money. Depending on the program type, customers can be billed directly by the utility or separately by a billing manager.

    Why consider community solar?

    A community solar project provides the benefits of clean energy to those who can’t install their own. By subscribing to a community solar program, customers receive credits on their regular electricity bill for the clean energy produced — which can lower their electricity costs.

    Savings on electricity bills.

    Savings on electricity bills.

    Subscribers can reduce their monthly utility bill by subscribing to a community solar project. The amount saved each month will depend on the quantity of solar energy generated by the subscriber’s selected community solar project.

    Access for all.

    Access for all.

    Community solar is available for anyone that pays a utility bill. It’s a great option for renters and small businesses that don’t have the ability to install solar panels on their property, or for properties where onsite solar is not suitable (e.g., curved roof, shady area, etc.).

    Little to no upfront costs.

    Little to no upfront costs.

    Since customers do not have to install their own solar arrays, the initial cost of subscribing to a community solar project is minimal, if any.

    Reduced carbon footprint.

    Reduced carbon footprint.

    Community solar can help dramatically reduce the carbon emissions of a town or county. Community solar projects can be public-private partnerships or spearheaded by a community initiative.

    Boosts to local economy.

    Boosts to local economy.

    Community solar projects require the creation of locally generated clean electricity, which increases the number of “green jobs” in the community.

    Incentives available in Maine

    Net Energy Billing (NEB). 

    Project developers can apply credits from the NEB incentive to offset electricity bills for subscribers. The NEB incentive comprises two programs: The NEB kWh Credit Program, which is available to all electric utility customers and provides kWh credits on customers’ electricity bills; and the NEB Tariff Rate Program, which is for non-residential customers and provides dollar credits on participating customers’ electricity bills.

    Project and Subscriber Requirements:

    Projects have a capacity limit of 5 MW. Customers need to be in the same utility service jurisdiction to subscribe to a project.

    To learn more about these programs, contact a DSD Renewables expert.

    Our Impact

    DSD partners with T-Mobile on 17 MWs of community solar projects

    Read More
    Mass.gov

    DSD acquires 45 MW community solar+storage portfolio in MA

    Read More
    New York State

    DSD acquires 4.3 MW community solar project near historic Woodstock

    Read More

    “Community solar projects play an important role in creating a sustainable future. These projects not only help us in reducing our environmental impact, but they will also bring new clean energy benefits to local communities and organizations.”

    Chad Wilkerson
    Director of Sustainability and Infrastructure Sourcing at T-Mobile

    Our Capabilities

    Canopy

    DSD’s custom solar canopies & carports provide shaded protection to your customers while making an exquisite statement about where you stand on climate action. Take an interactive journey.

    Rooftop

    Each rooftop application is specially designed to consider building structural integrity, rooftop lifespan and mounting/attachment options, and environmental factors such as snow and wind.

    Ground Mount

    Ideal for large applications — such as capped landfills, brownfield redevelopment and agricultural — our ground-mounted solar solutions are born from a rigorous design and geotechnical process

    Take the first step.

    Curious to learn how off-site solar can benefit your business and impact your community? Please reach out to Sarah Moon, our Senior Director of community solar origination, who can give you a sense of what’s possible — and answer any questions you may have.

    (413) 464-6611
    Email Sarah