More and more countries are shifting to renewable energy, and the current leader is solar power. Rooftop solar panels have been the most preferred option by most homeowners and renters in starting to use clean energy. However, what can you do when you do not own your home, do not have a shaded roof, or just have no interest in the mess of all the solar panels installed on your roof? The solar garden is a bright idea that opens the clean energy sources to all.
What Is a Solar Garden?
A solar garden (also known as a community solar project) is a distributed solar energy project in which two or more beneficiaries share the installation. Imagine a gigantic system of solar panels installed in an open space or even in a business premise. Rather than being owned by a single household, the setup produces power, which serves several homes or businesses in the locale. Consumers can subscribe or buy an interest in the energy generated, and this is then credited to their utility bills.
Through solar gardens, one is able to utilize the power of solar energy without having to have rooftop panels. It is a combined way of using renewable energy, which makes the process of going green convenient and inclusive.
Who Can Benefit from a Solar Garden?
The solar gardens are perfect for those individuals who have problems with the usual rooftop solar installations. This includes:
- Renters: You are not a homeowner, so you can not use the roof panels. Solar garden will allow you to have the perks of solar energy wherever you live.
- Homeowners with unsuitable roofs: Rooftop solar is not always viable, there are issues of shading or structural limitations, or simply having a roof out of true position, which can make it very inefficient. Solar gardens remove these obstacles, offering you a way to access clean energy without depending on your roof.
- Cost-conscious people: Rooftop solar is not always viable, there are issues of shading or structural limitations, or simply having a roof out of true position, which can make it very inefficient. Solar gardens remove these obstacles, offering you a way to access clean energy without depending on your roof.
- Businesses and organizations: Solar gardens apply to all commercial organizations that want a way of cutting down their carbon footprint without having to put the panels on buildings.
What are the workings of Solar Gardens?
To participate in a solar garden seems to be an easy delightful procedure, aimed at making clean energy available to all of us, whether we are homeowners or not. The way it normally goes is like this:
1. Find Solar Garden on you.
Start by searching for community solar programs in your locality. Usually, such initiatives are managed by utility companies, local governments, or independent solar developers. On reputable websites, such as EnergySage, Solar United Neighbors, and Community Solar Directory, which is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy, you can learn whether or not your ZIP code has accessible programs.
2. Subscribe or buy a share
When you have found an appropriate solar garden, you can enroll in one of the following ways:
Subscribing: Sign a fixed monthly payment depending on the amount of energy you would like to offset.
Buying a slice: Acquire a fragment of the array and gain long-term credit on the energy that it produces.
The majority of the community solar programs are subscriber-based and require minimal or no initial capital, so they are affordable to renters and low-income families.
3. Begin Making Solar Credits
Your share of the solar assembly transmits electricity into that of the nearby power network– not your household. Such a shared mechanism can enable the same installation to provide an advantage to numerous subscribers, irrespective of their location of the person.
4. Watch the Savings on your Utility Bill
There is an up-to-date device (such as virtual net metering) that your utility tracks the energy produced by your share. On your electricity bill, every month you will have credits equivalent to your contribution to electricity from solar. This assists in lowering your total utility bill and promotes the output of renewable energy.
Advantages of Solar Gardens
Accessibility: You do not have to own a house or possess any technical knowledge to invest in a solar garden.
Flexibility: If you are moving within the same utility service area, you can usually transfer your subscription to a new address.
Cost benefits: Subscribing to a solar garden enables you to reduce your electricity bills, but at no upfront costs like the installation of rooftop panels.
Environmental impact: By funding a solar garden, one would be able to reduce the usage of fossil fuels and fight climate change.
Community-centric: Solar gardens provide a sense of community-centric and community ownership of clean energy.
Challenges to Consider
Solar gardens are a great fit for many, but they are not free of problems
Availability: Solar gardens are not available everywhere, and some of them may be rather scarce depending on the location
Details of contracts: Other subscription plans include long-term contracts, and it is important to read the small print and agree to the details of the contract before committing
Savings variable: There are weather elements such as the cost of subscriptions and availability of electricity in your surrounding area, among others, that will determine what you save.
A Bright Future for Solar Gardens
The rate at which renewable energy is gaining popularity is increasing, and thus solar gardens are becoming widespread all over the world. They are an affordable, non-discriminating answer to people and companies that would like to use solar energy but are not allowed to due to constraints imposed by conventional systems.
Joining a solar garden will not only help you save funds but will also help you make this planet greener and assist your community as it switches to clean energy. It does not matter whether you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner, but with the help of this new innovative system, it is now easier than ever to become a part of the renewable revolution.
Then what are we waiting for? Visit solar gardens in your area and take your first step to a greener and sustainable future.
