Get Solar Energy Without Solar Panels On Your Home - Community Solar Explained

[@UndecidedMF]

Let me know if this is the type of thing you've been waiting for. And if you know of any programs to share with the group. Be sure to watch Liquid Air Battery Explained - Rival to Lithium Ion Batteries? kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5OUf6ihaMSnlZY

[@PM_82]

Zonnepanelendelen.nl in the netherlands, already 100 projects realised. I hold shares in 10 of them and together it covers my total electricity use.

[@TheStevedie]

I would never, ever, live in a HOA...I'm happy in the woods. But this is a fantastic idea and I hope it takes off. I'm waiting for Tesla solar install, currently trying to get the Connecticut rebate but I'm .3% away from qualifying for it lol.

[@ZzHasbrozZ]

Here is a community solar farm I’m aware of. I can’t wrap my head around the math and payoff. I cant understand how it makes financial sense. The subscription cost is 12$ a “unit” and a “unit” could produce a 15$ credit. A unit cost 100$ upfront plus 30$ admin fee plus ongoing subscription cost for up to 20 years. www.yorkelectric.net/energy-services/solar/community-solar-farm/

[@TheRealLaughingGravy]

I've watched the video twice, and I went to Energysage and found the one project in my area, but I still don't quite get what's going on. It says "Save 10% on bill credits" and gives an estimated annual savings of $210. So, I'm supposed to "subscribe" to a solar farm, and I'll see credits on my electric bill, which makes my electric bill cheaper, right? But I also will be _paying_ a monthly subscription - correct? - yet nowhere does it tell me what that monthly subscription cost is before I click the "Subscribe" button. If I don't know what the monthly subscription cost is, how do I know my net cost will be less? What am I not understanding? (I realize I may not be understanding _a lot._ )

[@Av-vd3wk]

Matt, a better term for this is a Solar Co-Op.

[@wholenutsanddonuts5741]

I did this in Georgia a year ago. It’s pretty painless and I will increase my solar block size when we get our model 3 next month. Very cool way to support green energy!

[@UndecidedMF]

That's awesome! Sounds like you're happy with it.

[@wholenutsanddonuts5741]

@@UndecidedMF very. A low cost way to help get more solar!!

[@HarshColby]

From GA Power? Does it save money, or just good for the environment? I looked into rooftop solar a couple of years ago and it didn't make any financial sense because they only credited a fraction of the electricity cost when my output exceeded my usage. I looked on the GA Power site just now, and they don't really say how Community Solar works in this respect but instead references a document I wasn't able to find.

[@wholenutsanddonuts5741]

@@HarshColby I’m honestly not sure. It hasn’t made much difference to my electricity bill Over the past year but I get a monthly statement about how much environmentally I’ve done. You might want to call to find out more details. They’re pretty easy to get hold of via the phone and are pretty nice too. I’m getting a timed meter put in at the house before my model 3 arrives so I can take advantage of reduced night time rates.

[@HarshColby]

@@wholenutsanddonuts5741 Thanks. My daughter signed up for the lower nightly rates, but they charged extra during the day, so it was actually more expensive over all. They didn't tell her that before switching, so she had to wait for them to switch it back. You might want to ask about all rates. The only way it would have worked for her is if she had a power wall and solar panels in addition to the night-rates. With the Model 3, I haven't actually noticed the extra juice used on my power bill at all. It's just such a small amount of electricity. Love my Model 3!

[@angelmtzmtz8799]

This panel can put out close to 100 watts kzbin.infoUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.

[@matthewconnor5483]

Community solar would be a great use of commercial rooftops/parking lots. Get two uses out of the land, creates added value for the owners and provides the local community with power.

[@solarforgood]

You're spot on! Would way rather use dormant/unproductive space when possible. One of our favorite projects in Massachusetts was built on a capped landfill. Talk about turning trash into treasure

[@Clay_Maguire]

An added benefit from using a parking lot is you create covered parking as well.

[@steveallen1340]

Agreed. There are also lots of places that would like to have a roof but currently don’t. Community Tennis, basketball, netball courts, walkways from train stations etc. Lots of opportunities to serve two purposes with the expenditure.

[@ThomasBomb45]

@@Clay_Maguire the greenest parking lot is no parking lot at all ;)

[@Clay_Maguire]

@@ThomasBomb45 You miss the point completely. Parking lots do exist. So if we use them as solar farms, we get dual use out of them. Additionally, if we put solar over parking, we won't need to cover green spaces with solar panels.

[@MisterFro9]

I'm gonna be a renter for a long time, I had no idea programs like this exist! Thank you from Melbourne Australia!!

[@UndecidedMF]

Your welcome! Hope you find a good program near you.

[@debbieward9732]

Those hail stones in Qld did some serious panel damage a few weeks ago.

[@MisterFro9]

@@alanwardrop9575 unfortunately, as mentioned, I live in Victoria, not NSW (a requirement of the program you listed). Thanks though :)

[@denniss3980]

This seems a better idea than individual systems, here in Florida there is a lot of unused land next to may housing developments

[@CHMichael]

Next to? Put it on your roof . Im surprised we (Fl) dont use pool heating systems to prewarm water before the water heater. Don't sell to the grid but to your neighbors.

[@andyjdhurley]

We have the opposite problem in the UK, houses are crammed in most of the time with little or no open land so I am unsure if this makes any sense here, we just need to get the obstacles of installing roof solar removed. Maybe something like this but where the panels were installed on homes - just maybe not your own. Complicated for sure but would make more sensible use of potential space. At very least we need to get solar mandated on on new homes.

[@klrmoto]

It would make a good business approach for cemeteries.

[@Meatball2022]

Yea that business can use some life. Thank you, thank you. I’m here all week

[@adventureseekerdude]

Tried getting solor on my home and it's very hard with a flat roof. So this is perfect! Thanks for this, signing up now! Also, saw you drive by me on Grove St. once tried to flag you down just to tell you how much I enjoy your videos. Long time subscriber. Thanks for the great content Matt!

[@UndecidedMF]

Ha! Too funny. Glad you're enjoying the channel.

[@bobbelman6666]

Solar shouldn't be hard on a flat roof. Try FlatFix Fusion, a fantastic flat roof mounting system!

[@adventureseekerdude]

@@bobbelman6666 everyone I've called said they can't help me 😔 Flat Fix looks good, thanks for sharing

[@curtisbme]

I'm in the PNW. There are no solar projects here but if someone will create something to leverage the power from rain we can power everything.

[@elnegrobembon]

As a big proponent and believer of the coop model and community-ownership, I hope this model takes off. It just seems so logical in many situations. As a community, you can share the costs and the benefits. Also, even though I own my home, I live in a condo. My little DIY solar project I have in my balcony is not nearly enough to power even the most basic appliances in cases of emergencies for very long. I live in a country where electricity rates are higher than Hawaii's. But even community solar is a very expensive investment. I believe local and municipal governments should be more involved in subsidizing these projects. In the not-so-long term, it's a no-brainer. Thanks for putting out content on this topic Matt. If possible, I'd love to see even more on this. 👍🏾

[@kristth3901]

Hey Matt. I really enjoy your vids, also I just recently started to learn in the Eng of Tech course in the UK. I sent your channel to my lecturer who approved you and now been shared around my classmates for further resource for us with our studies in our Renewable Energy course :) it is a big help for us to understand everything better so thank you very much for your content c:

[@UndecidedMF]

Wow! That's crazy and awesome. So glad you all are finding them helpful.

[@RG2k07]

I just signed up for community solar in Colorado today! My home is only wired for 120v service and I'd have to upgrade my service to accommodate solar panels. This was a no brainer for me!

[@anthonyschofield6438]

In the uk we have some community wind farms and there’s a few open investment in solar parks where anyone can invest

[@WryGrass100]

The collector "farm" has lush green grass between the rows. Is the farmer allowed to graze animals there, or plant low-lying crops? To make better use of the land.

[@jrsydvl100]

www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2020/01/solar-sheep-are-eating-away-at-the-om-competition/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20first%20companies,additional%20projects%20across%20the%20Northeast.

[@TrogdorBurnin8or]

@@jrsydvl100 I think you tend to want a mix - sheep, goats, and maybe a guard llama or two in case they run into a dog. They eat different plants.

[@tbarnes5937]

That is all smoke to blow at you. It doest work. Look at solar farm projects that have tried this. Its a lie to get our land. Owned by foreign country.

[@drmosfet]

It seems like all they need is a better solar panel stand, to make that plot of land multiple uses. There so low to the ground that goats would be trying to walk on them, also other than weed killer don't know how you maintain the ground under the panel's. If some company could mass produced a good solar panel tracking stand to bring down the cost with features to make maintenance and multiple ground used easy, they might just have a winner 🏆

[@solarforgood]

Here's a fun new vocab word: the combo of solar and farming on land is called "Agrivoltaics". There are plenty of studies and real-life examples showing that solar farms can be paired with crops or sheep (nature's lawn mowers) for dual-use. This allows farmers to benefit from an alternative revenue stream, too. By the way, while we're on vocab, here's another: solar farms are increasingly being built atop bodies of water - a practice called "floatovoltaics"

[@zacharydavis8665]

Here in New York it’s barely a subscription. You sign up and solar credits accrue on your utility bill and you save 10%. No separate Bill. No hidden fees. Nothing. It’s just instant savings. And they are paying people to do it too.

[@userXt]

It's always nice to see a quote from Volker Quaschning on the topic. He's one of Germany's best (if not THE best) climate scientists and also one of the founders of Scientists for Future. 👍

[@UndecidedMF]

👍

[@GroovyVideo2]

I joined Green choice in Austin tx in 1990s and we purchased Wind Turbine farm that now has 100s of turbines - Yup i paid extra and i feel Great about it - not everything is about money

[@impulsesystems]

I'm pretty sure Colorado has community solar, in the west of the state, and >300 days of sunshine per year. This is a great idea! Here in central México, we get plenty of sunshine. I am fortunate to have a large, flat roof, with a 6kW system. I helped a group of business students do the math for a community solar idea for the town where I live. Thanks for your videos. Supply and capability of panels and inverters to México has gradually improved in the 7 years I have had my main system. I am hoping to have backup battery supply on a second array soon, as we often lose power in the rainy season.

[@mikenyc1501]

In NY, CT, and many other states you can buy electric energy from any supplier, so you can buy 100% solar at any time. I did this for the 10 years or so I lived in Manhattan 10 to 20 years ago. I left Manhattan about 10 years ago. I was paying 30% above ConEdison rates at the time, but I could afford it and I wanted to support the tech.

[@PH62-PSL]

In Florida FPL (local utility) is launching a massive community solar program. You sign up and reserve how much power you want. You can see your consumption from their dashboard and once it goes live you will get discounts on your energy bill. I'm sure they take a decent part of the savings but their is no upfront cost to the consumer

[@goodxrvn2053]

Matt, I have been having trying to get the Solar economics to work out for me for 20 years.Typically we are in a home from 5-7 years before moving. Without massive rebates the economics of solar just do not work for us. The RV has a full solar install and we having plenty of power for off grid camping. We'd love to have solar on the home but the economics just do not work for us. Thanks for the great videos. Joe

[@GHinWI]

It’d be incredible if every suburban parking lot had a covering of solar panels. Could be supported on a relatively lightweight steel structure.

[@cb123195]

I'd also say look into Arcadia,it's who I go through not only can you sign up for free and cut your carbon output by going with wind energy but they also offer community solar. I've been 100% clean energy past few months with tjem

[@frankm8252]

Ames Iowa is constructing a community solar project now. The one thing I thought was cool is that you could "gift" units. The units or panels are owned by you and can be gifted, bought and sold. Within the community of course. Also you can bring them with you within town. I did the math, not as cost effective, but close and your still reducing carbon.

[@UndecidedMF]

That's really cool. Thanks for sharing!

[@Mojo16011973]

KZbin's algorithm needs some tweaking. Considering the content I normally watch, I cannot believe I have just came across your channel. Subscribed.

[@glamdring0007]

This is a fantastic idea...it should be pushed nationally...every capped landfill should be leased by the towns and cities that own them for community solar. My own town has entered into a lease agreement with a solar company for a commercial build-out and is in the middle of building the solar farm right now...while it's not a community project like the ones in this video, it's still a great use of the land. These types of community and individual solar investments will likely play the biggest role in moving away from fossil fuel use as much as it's practical to do without trashing our economy.

[@khilanpethad]

Keep up the good work on the channel! Quick note: the UK left the EU at the end of Jan 2020 and thus there are 27 countries in the EU

[@UndecidedMF]

👍

[@realdemocracy11]

Think about how nice it would be if all shopping mall parking lots were covered by a roof of solar panels. On rainy days you wouldn't need an umbrella and on sunny days your car would be in the shade and this wouldn't require sacrificing farm land or natural parks. This is something that's already being done but why not more?

[@ls-33wraith33]

This does seam to have lot’s of potential seeing you could pair it with micro energy storage such as the air compressor generators too

[@leesmith9299]

There must be equivalent thing abroad but in the UK there's investment companies that specialise in renewable projects. You just buy them on the stock market. Trouble is the share price does tend to trade above the NAV at the moment.

[@christopherkarlsson4919]

Solarpanels on farmland could be great for letting soil rest, farmers could get a profit on their land without plowing it for a couple of years and then rotate that around if the panels are movable

[@larrycox6614]

NexAmp, in conjunction with Central Maine Power, is building community solar farms. No subscription fee, no signup fee, and up to 15% savings per month.

[@UndecidedMF]

Nice!

[@solarforgood]

Thanks for spreading the word about Community Solar! And for using our state guide to help explain where folks can sign up. You took what can be a tricky concept for folks and made it digestible - something we're always working on! Commenters, feel free to ask us anything about Community Solar. We serve subscribers in the Northeast U.S. (and, starting soon, in Illinois), but whether we can serve you or not, we'll reply with an answer to help you in your solar journey!

[@RAG0407]

The challenge in Australia is elect sent into the grid only gets a feed in tariff that is typically half or lower than the rate I pay at home. We do not have 1 for 1 kWh sent to grid.

[@pavelbaidurov228]

Energy is energy, you can build DIY solar water heater for pennies + 1-3 m3 underground heat water battery and you will save a lot of CO2/money.

[@carlosencarnacion9667]

One of the complaints against solar farms is that they occupy farm real estate. Solution, there are crops that are shade loving plants that can benefit from the shade solar farms produce.

[@raybo946]

A little known fact outside the state of Texas (and in some parts of the state unfortunately) is that Texas has created the largest wind energy capacity by more than double of any other state. As a result of this and huge solar farms, most of us have the "power-to-choose" what type of energy sourcing we want and can trade-off the price vs. benefit. Providers are obligated to provide that amount of energy to the grid. I have been 100% green energy for a dozen or more years now and have had to buy nothing for my roof or property. I don't understand why more states don't do this!!!??? Its far more efficient to use the economies of scale that state-wide or even inter-state sourcing than community....don't you think?

[@AndroidAndr3w]

I rent my solar panel. It's on top of a large convention center near by.

[@ericracine6305]

Really smart using big roofs for that.

[@joshdelacruz9883]

one thing i didnt hear mentioned is that in deregulated markets where you pick your own electric company (texas and california are first 2 to come to mind) you can choose a retail provider that is pure solar. reality it aint but they use paper fudging similar to how net metering works to make all of the kwh come from solar

[@macemoneta]

The biggest downside to community solar, of course, is that you are still getting power from the utility lines. So in the event of an outage, the solar generated power can't reach you. Roof mounted solar with a battery backup (e.g., Tesla Powerwall) properly sized provides power during an arbitrary length outage. That's the primary concern for us, with unreliable utility power.

[@UndecidedMF]

Very true. But for renters this is really the best option.

[@denisebrewster9100]

My neighbor has solar. My intake of sun too shallow. I still need my understanding of this program.

[@avivshalgi]

Matt, as someone from the industry building a simple and straightforward Community Solar platform, I wanted to say - HUGE KUDOS! You've explained the concept beautifully, much better than most people can, which is the best thing our industry needs - customer education in simple means. All of the websites that were mentioned in the video are great and I'm not trying to push mine by any means, but if you want to check it out - solarsimplified.com (Matt, if you want me to remove this, just let me know). Another great video (I'm a fan). Thanks for making it!

[@frankm8252]

Matt, maybe you can look into new hybrid systems that do not require utility permissions? The inverter monitors use and reduces output, or charges batteries to prevent back feeding the utility.

[@UndecidedMF]

Adding it to my list!

[@imakevideos5377]

I like community batteries more than community solar, as it (at least in aus) is generally more efficient than multiple individual batteries in homes

[@Shulyaka]

What would change if you treat those as shared electric station and exclude the homes from the equation? I mean, if producing solar energy is that efficient, you don't need homes at all, just build the community solar plant and that's it

[@QuickCookie]

We get good amount of sun on our home and garage roof here in Southern California. I would like to install solar but no battery!

[@tedyoung4239]

Hi Matt, A new topic suggestion: What specific “Tesla” battery is now in electric storage, for home, for electric utilities? How will this “storage” battery change in the future?

[@MarinelliBrosPodcast]

Just buy some green energy stocks, many such as Trans Alta Renewables, Northland power, and even Enbridge (mainly Oil and Nat gas but has some of the largest wind farms in Canada) pay good dividends too. I do think waiting for the price to drop on RNW and NPI might be a good idea, or just dollar cost average. *This is not investment advice.

[@dj_laundry_list]

I get solar energy from the grid itself, thank you very much

[@UndecidedMF]

Whereabouts are you?

[@dante.6794]

Presumably somewhere that has 100% renewable energy plans.

[@b1denison]

Thanks for sharing alternative methods of having solar panels!

[@UndecidedMF]

You bet!

[@kstaxman2]

The complexity of solar energy is the real hidden problem. Solar systems are far more than pannels. Inverters, complex expensive electrical systems, cost to monitor and control a system, and other such issues all factor in on the TCOO (total cost of operation).

[@stevesmith-sb2df]

I buy my energy from Gexa. Its 100% renewable - Gexa says. They buy credits from renewable suppliers based on how many KWH I use. It saves CO2 but does not save me money. Have you covered the environmental benefits of these 100% renewable plans?

[@Clearwater_WT]

That article about the UK uses an image of Shenzhen... and didn't mention it lol. Thank you for reporting on this topic though, and thank you for all the brilliant videos!

[@bikesqump]

my power company charges "delivery" so my 10cent/kWh wind power plan still costs about the same as the standard 13cent rate. I'd still have to pay for this with community solar but if I got rooftop then maybe I wouldn't... unless they just charge it for however much energy you use regardless!

[@solarforgood]

Hello! Having worked on plenty of community solar projects, what we typically see is around a 10% discount applied to both the supply and delivery portions of folks' bills. So you're right: you'd get a discount on your delivery fee, but it wouldn't be completely offset. Rooftop solar is still the best option for long-term savings. BUT if you're not ready for it just yet, maybe you could join community solar until you can install your own panels - it can be a nice first step into solar!

[@bikesqump]

@@solarforgood thanks, looking to lock in lower cost and greener power for a ground source heatpump system. Its hard to get info on this stuff!

[@solarforgood]

@@bikesqump happy to help. The energy industry can be...less than transparent sometimes. Love that you're going with the heat pump! We've heard great things from our customers who have done so. Think you'll be pleased.

[@campinwill9977]

I've got a question. Solar Panels only work well in full sun, what can be done to boost the performance in overcast conditions? Are there any devices? Better panels? When I camp along the coast my 2 - 120w panels will put out about 12 amps in sun but drop to just a few amps in overcast. Not enough to charge. It would seem to me that the panels are the weak link in a off-the-grid set up? If you can't charge the batteries, it doesn't matter how cheap or good they are? Thanks for any help!

[@MrEnvymd]

Arcadia power is worth checking out in the states.

[@Twst704]

Love the idea, and I’m wondering if the “battery farm” is in the next patch over lol. Seriously, what if I could have both my batteries and my panels off-site? Would that even make sense? Even if the storage site was within a mile of your house, would there be any business benefits to that? I know I’d still probably want my batteries as close as possible, much like file storage... yet I have tons of files in the cloud... 🤔.

[@WryGrass100]

This is how power companies get started. Look back to Edison, Westinghouse,

[@adamlytle2615]

It kind of galls me to see all the empty roof space on big box stores, and even on the thousands of small businesses that line the miles and miles of city streets. In most cases, these are much better suited to panels than residential rooftops. Not usually shaded by trees, and big enough to accommodate an array pointed in the ideal direction for the sun. Wasted potential that could be put to use for something like community solar.

[@Crunch_dGH]

My HOA's new roof tiles are only 10yo, so that's out. However, land along an adjacent river borders our development, including two perpendicular 20'-40' wide by 1000+' dry river bottom trails. Would it be worth approaching local lands commissions for their endorsing our erecting a "trail sheltering" solar farm in exchange for providing them with mitigation offsets? Any precedents?

[@spencersmith5974]

I look forward to every one of your videos. It's refreshing to start my day with. About 20% through your videos thus far, and it's going to suck when I'm out lol. I wonder if a whole county could go into a community share system for that particular county's energy needs. I like this method too, perhaps this method of incorporating modular payments that fit your budget to this very idea. Who knows, it might be tax-deductible to have an energy income from renewable sources. Very exciting to see solar technologies hit mass production. Hopefully the technology for at least 15-20% efficient panels become cost effective enough to make it available for more people. I learned mass appeal escalates if within that buy-back period is between 2-3 years on that 5 year buy back clause.

[@daveschmarder-1950]

We have a solar farm just a couple miles from me. They have been offering a 5% discount off my electricity. Of course, this wouldn't include the utility service fees, taxes and the other hundred fees involved in lighting up my house. I did a quick calculation, and I figured I would be saving about $1.50 per month! Not even worth bothering with. My yearly usage is around 2500 kWh per year. My roof faces the wrong direction for solar and at my age, I'm too close to EOL for any kind of payback.

[@wsmith6270]

Most informative and thought provoking...I am in Jamaica

[@muhammadosama8308]

Could you by any chance link all the research paper you went through for this video.I am a student in EU and want to promote a similar idea to my university so it will be really helpful!

[@moose05focus]

Fpl has a solar program we joined in here in Florida.

[@Bmeri3]

I checked my zip code and there are no community solar offerings in my area. I live in a condo in 06484. The units are attached, but each has its own roof. The decks and sun room roofs are the owners responsibility to maintain, however the managing board is claiming solar panels are not allowed. All units have oil fired heating as natural gas is not available within the complex and propane tanks are not allowed. Any thoughts on how to approach either solar or any type of alternative energy or fuel usage changes from heating oil?

[@carthiaelangwe5233]

My friend rented her roof space to a solar developer company and the company mounted solar on her roof and the company supplies energy to other folks but she doesn't benefit from the solar on her roof. The solar developer has a 20 year contract for the roof mount and now she wants to be able to use solar and doesn't know what to do. Can you advice please?

[@abdulrahmanadebayo8321]

Thank you, i have shared this idea with my friends and willing to start it up until January next year. in the planning phase. I need help with storage (Batteries) although getting knowledge on it recently. Thank you for this and if you could hep out i would b glad.

[@evlnte]

A while back the utilities where I live tried to pull one over on the voting public by proposing a State amendment that would essentially make solar harder or more expensive to get from anyone other than the utilities. Do you know of a national "legislative" watchdog organization that can help voters find info on local legislation being put on ballots to trick voters on renewables?

[@UndecidedMF]

Sadly, I don't, but I've been thinking of doing a video on that topic.

[@evlnte]

@@UndecidedMF I suppose as voters we should all take individual responsibility to read every amendment on a ballot before making a choice. But I can assure you that no one else in my immediate circle knew exactly what the ballot measure was proposing. It was intentionally named and worded so skillfully that it sounded like it was supposed to offer customers more choice and better pricing. I spent about an 30 min researching to discover its true intent. It was even advertised (by the utility) all over Facebook as favorable to renewables. It failed to pass 2 yrs ago, but it was close.

[@timhuang4423]

So for those states with community solar program or virtual net metering, why will these project exist. I mean if the community solar farm is a financial viable project. Why not just commercial solar farm. A commercial solar farm is more efficient financially, which in turn more beneficial to the society. The other thing is if a state just push renewable energy but not thinking about storage. It will put a high burden on grid and utility company financial obligation. So we need a multi-throne and more coordinated approach towards green society. I hope we have one soon.

[@demilishing]

You have such great informative videos! From your videos I've started the mental process to eventually power my house through solar. Thank you for all your help!

[@WryGrass100]

If I had 20 years, I'd be all over this!

[@SONLON]

My energy sage is not giving me quotes its more for businesses selling solar, am I in the right place?

[@JohnC-iv8jo]

positive impact investment, plus solar coin or similar crypto mechanism, win win for your community, also if the field its in is growing certain crops there is a proven potential 3 fold increase in yield, and there is less water vapour pushed to atmosphere and increased solar yield over time as result.

[@deltoncbaker]

What is the difference between virtual solar and stock market investment in solar?

[@ronm6585]

Good info, thanks Matt. Checking to see if there is anything available in Canada.

[@UndecidedMF]

Thanks, Ron! If you find something promising, drop it back here in the comments.

[@allanmoulding5526]

Nelson BC has a 60kw community solar garden since June 2017

[@ronm6585]

@@allanmoulding5526 Thanks Allan. I am in Manitoba.

[@edwingroen2028]

Don't know about you,r paying energy tax. But in The Netherlands we pay 5 to 7 cents per kWh and 12 to 15 cents tax. We have leased 10 panels (99 euro per panel for 9 years) since 1 okt. at a field and pay only the tax. My own 8 panels, installed this July, cost me 2.5 times more. We have to see if we made the correct choice after one year.

[@christopheryoung6094]

I like this idea. wish there was one in my area. Thank you for getting us know!

[@MikeInNorCal]

I wonder why someone would "dislike" this vid?

[@UndecidedMF]

🤷

[@jamesbuchanan3439]

Matt - have you come across this situation: I notice that a stones-throw from my house a row of closely-spaced fairly deluxe houses were built all at one time, perhaps under 20 years ago, all with the same basic design and orientation; fifteen of them, all with LARGE simple open gable roofs, with perfect orientation for solar on one side. The street has had block parties and other evidence of potential cooperation in the past. (For one thing, they share a waste-water treatment system that I believe was built just for these homes.) Is there any way to do a solar project across multiple properties in a municipality such as an outer borough of NYC; i.e., are there any provisions in the law or Public Service Commission guidelines that would allow/compel the building department and local utility (Consolidated Edison in this case) to consider it as a single project? Wouldn't it be nifty to garner some benefits of certain interconnection, such as a shared set of Powerwalls such that the homes could be mutually supportive during a partial or total outage, and certainly shared net metering, and of course significantly reduced design and administration overhead costs, as well as construction staging costs? (I am a relatively young retired electrical engineer/project manager, and would love to sell the owners on, and head up such a project pro bono...)

[@UndecidedMF]

I don't know for sure, but I imagine there isn't. You'd have to get each owner to buy in.

[@mrdad3]

Can home battery storage be combined with community solar?

[@nandkishorrajensingh4298]

Greetings Ferrell from South Africa, great content,

[@juannadie2897]

Excelent, congratulations. I suggest You My bald friend to take a look at Lucien Gambarota wind solutions micro turbines and they could complement the upside part of the solar roofs to use the top wind currents.

[@A3Kr0n]

Hi Matt. Do you know how many solar cells it would take to make a solar cell assuming everything from mining to manufacturing to waste stream management is done with solar power?

[@jedics1]

Those community solar set ups seem very short sighted and a waste of land, at least mount them high enough so the land underneath can be used for another purpose....

[@computerfan1079]

Great video. Just know that passwords and sensitive data is already encrypted via HTTPS. Thus, sending data through a VPN for that reason is decreasing your security, not increasing it because now, the VPN provider can potentially look at your data. The only reason to use a VPN (by a provider) at home is to get access to foreign content. Know what you endorse! Also, protecting against adtracking can be done using a good browser like Firefox and good plugins like DDG privacy plugin. You don't have to pay for that at all

[@someguy8732]

Still though, how do you get around the fact that, when including the lifespan of the panel, photovoltaic is one of the most inefficient ways to generate electricity and thus will not generate a net profit for you compared with just buying electricity from the grid normally. The large price difference is also an indication that from production to disposal photovoltaics actually have a worse impact on the environment.

[@janeenlewis247]

I signed for solar to help save the planet. But I wonder i am still getting billed by electric company?

[@johnthomas5806]

thanks Matt...

[@dwc1964]

I live in a densely-populated city and in this sort of situation the model that works best is municipal ownership. Cities that own their energy utilities have a lot more capability, flexibility and incentive to develop renewable & sustainable solutions on a larger scale than individuals & private co-ops, and never mind all that hassle of shopping and paperwork because the municipal utility does all that. It's just more efficient all around for everyone in a defined geographic area to pool their resources this way. Private utility companies, of course, do not like this idea, because a regulated monopoly model lets them make lots of money. And they spend a good chunk of it in lobbying and anti-public-ownership propaganda whenever there's talk of public power, to make sure they get to keep doing that. But every city that owns its energy utility has better service at lower prices and a lot more innovation in terms of renewable & sustainable energy production and distribution. The only reason we don't all do it like that is, almost nobody bothers to check for themselves, and just buys into the corporate-sponsored narrative. Lacking a municipal utility, some sort of co-op like this video describes is the next-best arrangement, it seems.

[@jeremyk8157]

I’m interested in community solar as roof is shaded. Question is can I combine community solar with a small roof array and battery backup.

[@solarforgood]

Hey Jeremy - the answer depends on policy in your state! For instance, we work in both New York and Massachusetts. While Massachusetts allows rooftop solar owners to offset any portion of their bill that is not covered by their panels with Community Solar, New York does not. You can always ask this question upfront to whatever Community Solar provider you speak with!

[@drivenbyrage5710]

Did you know, that Mortgage is a french term, translated into english, it means DEATH PLEDGE? I did.

[@trevinbeattie4888]

I searched the Community Solar Marketplace for my zip code, but it didn’t find any projects. Also searched several other zip codes nearby and even some out of state - nothing there. How does a project get started?

[@solarforgood]

Hey Trevin, sorry to hear Community Solar isn't in your area. Unfortunately it's quite state policy-driven (as Matt acknowledges in the video). Getting Community Solar going in your area starts with getting in touch with your local representatives to help them understand the value! The states that start latest will be behind the curve on renewables down the line, so you'll be doing them a favor if you push them in the right direction. Happy to talk more about this if you have questions!

[@rklauco]

The idea is great!

[@timwoytula5416]

You pay for solar to save , the power companies, just up the bill , total independence of electricity power companies is only way

[@robertjackson4121]

Communitz solar depend upon the lawyer who drafts the document and what happens to changing circumstances of investor and energy economics. Just like an hoa or time share laws of each state. The case law for new legal aread must be litigated in court not just what legislator. A new area consider this a high risk and only invest @0% of your investment monies

[@bedhead4728]

My family are farmers and we have a lot of unused land. It is rough hilly land, but no trees. I am in Illinois, anyone know how I can see about leasing my land for this type of project?

[@1SuperKuper]

Here's a link to companies you can contact for Illinois: www.illinoissolar.org/widget/Community-Solar-Developers

[@brianbanks3044]

it all sounds good but i want to know bottom line figures...i had a guy come to the door the other day and all I heard was how I was going to get a credit and save money but that was it....then he tells me about panels I will be buying etc and I was lost on this whole savings plan...obviously he was a poor explainer and salesman for the project but i am very skeptical about these "I can save you 10% a year etc" programs but you have to pay for them....has to be a better way

[@calboy2]

I would totally do this. But Nevada energy company is very anti solar

[@UndecidedMF]

More like Nevada energy is anti consumer solar ... which is a shame. Sigh. Nevada is perfect solar country.

[@brendancalendar4306]

Do you have a link to the eu directive? Also do you have a link to major players in this space?

[@brucereimer1700]

COULD SOLOR PANELS BE MADE THIN YET STRONG ENOUGH TO BE USED AS A BOAT SAIL THERE IS A VERY BIG MARKET

[@haythamsaleh9491]

This will be the future

[@UndecidedMF]

I agree.

[@solarforgood]

Agree!