Detailed Community SOlar Explanation
- Our solar arrays produce clean, renewable electricity from the sun. The River Street project is a 1500 kilowatt array located in Halifax, Massachusetts. The project is located on a property that has seen a variety of land uses over the years, including agricultural and industrial uses.
- That energy is supplied to the local electric grid. The River Street project is connected to the National Grid distribution system in Massachusetts. Power from the sun is fed into the local circuit to meet the needs of homeowners and businesses in the area.
- The utility (National Grid) compensates us with Alternative On-Bill Credits (AOBCs). This credit represents the value of the energy supplied by the solar array to the grid and can be applied dollar-for-dollar against any National Grid customer’s bill.
- We allocate AOBCs to subscribers. Once you become a subscriber, we allocate you a set percentage of the total AOBCs that we receive. A typical allocation represents the electricity generated by around 50 solar panels, although smaller allocations are also available. We work with you to determine an allocation that matches your home or business’ annual energy needs.
- A credit shows up on your National Grid bill. The value of your AOBC allocation shows up as a credit on your utility bill, reducing or completely eliminating that month’s charges from National Grid.
- Each month we bill you for your AOBC allocation at a discount. Subscribers receive at least a 5-10% discount on the value of their AOBC allocation.
- Set it and Forget it. That’s it! No further action is required on your part. Just pay your National Grid and Community Solar bills each month, and you'll continue to save money while also supporting local clean energy.