Editor,
I have been participating in community solar with Solstice since January 2020. My main motivation for going solar was to decrease my carbon footprint by decreasing my use of fossil fuels. But it doesn’t hurt that I also save 10% off my monthly electric bill!
Community solar allows diverse users (individuals, businesses, nonprofits) to benefit “from energy generated by solar panels at an off-site array” (https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/community-solar-basics). In my case, I am allotted a percentage of the power produced by the Solstice array in Middletown, based on my electricity usage. The electricity generated for my usage appears as a credit on my O&R bill, leaving me owing O&R about $1.95 a month, while Solstice bills me at a 10% discount for the electricity used.
Community solar is a great option for renters like me. If you move within the region of your electric company, your enrollment follows you — as it did for me when I changed apartments in the Village of Warwick. It’s a great option for homeowners who may have wanted to purchase solar panels, but for one reason or another their home wasn’t suitable. Did I mention it as a great option for small businesses and not-for-profits to lower their carbon footprint and save 10% off their electricity bill?
In Warwick, now is the time to move on this. Sustainable Warwick is promoting a Triple Win Campaign for signing on to community solar through two community solar companies: Solstice and Astral Power. When you sign up before July 15, you: (1) start saving up to 10% off your electric bill and receive a $100 sign up bonus; (2) get to select a local nonprofit to receive a $100 donation; and (3) protect the environment we all depend on.
For more information on Triple Win, visit https://www.sustainablewarwick.org/triple-win.
Join me in a happy electricity choice!
ALICE MCMECHEN
