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Solar is booming. The United States achieved more than 30 gigawatts of cumulative installed solar capacity in 2016, up from virtually zero just a decade prior. Yet almost half of American households cannot access solar power because they reside in rented or multi-tenant buildings. Other households have shaded roofs, or lack the capital needed to invest in solar panels.“Community solar” is an emerging opportunity to increase solar deployment and access.

Community solar projects—also known as community solar gardens, community solar farms, and community shared solar—are small-to medium-scale solar-electric systems that provide power and/or financial payback to multiple participants. These systems can enhance electric grid resilience, support economic growth, reduce transmission and distribution costs, lower peak rate spikes, increase low-income uptake of solar, enhance environmental justice, and improve human and environmental health. Additionally, community solar projects are generally small enough to be located close to end users but large enough to achieve economies of scale, making community solar a valuable complement to utility-scale and residential solar.