Community Solar Gardens: How Renters Can Buy In Without a Roof
You don’t need a rooftop or a mortgage to tap into solar energy. Community solar gardens make it possible for renters to power their homes with sunshine—without installing a single panel.
These shared solar projects allow individuals to subscribe to a portion of a larger, off-site solar array. That share offsets part of your monthly electricity bill, usually at a guaranteed discount compared to traditional grid power.
It’s simple: you sign up with a community solar provider, often with no upfront cost. You continue to receive electricity from your local utility, but now part of your energy comes from the shared solar farm. Your monthly bill reflects both your utility usage and your solar credit—which usually reduces the total.
Programs are expanding across the U.S., especially in states like New York, Illinois, Minnesota, and Colorado. Some even prioritize low- to moderate-income households with extra savings.
No roof. No panels. Just clean energy, shared locally.
Sources
U.S. Department of Energy, “Community Solar Basics,” 2024 https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/community-solar-basics NRDC, “A Guide to Community Solar,” 2023 https://www.seia.org/initiatives/community-solar EnergySage, “Community Solar for Renters,” 2024 https://www.energysage.com/solar/community-solar/for-renters/
Videos (Publicly Available)
https://youtu.be/0j49_XeFzdQ Community Solar: What It Is and How It Works
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR5fX17vKbI What is Community Solar?
