Solar power is growing in the US. By 2017 nearly 2% of the total US generation capacity was provided by
solar power. The Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), has helped to grow the industry since 2006. Prices
have been falling, more than 70% since 2010, attracting more interest as individuals look for ways to
reduce their carbon footprint. Residential rooftop solar is not always an option for individuals looking 1
for clean energy options. Renters, homeowners with unsuitable property characteristics or who choose
not to install on their property, and those not financially able to install their own systems can all benefit
from community solar projects. Community solar is a central solar array, where multiple individuals can 2
purchase a portion of the energy produced by the system. Subscribers may purchase the output from a
single panel – typically a one-time up-front cost, or a set production amount each month. The purchased
solar output offsets the subscribers bill each month, typically lowering overall energy bills. The solar 3
array, and all subscribers need to be within the same utility service area. The utility is typically
responsible for providing virtual net-metering, to account for subscriber’s portion of the community
solar array on each monthly bill.
There are multiple benefits to a community solar project. More individuals can participate in purchasing
solar energy due to economies of scale that decrease unit costs of site assessments, equipment and
installation, and soft costs. Participation is open to people at a much lower investment, and allocations
can be transferred to other utility customers if a subscriber moves out of the service territory. The
community model also allows for optimization of site location, and is easier for utilities to manage than
multiple rooftop arrays. By structuring project as reduced utility bills rather than investment expecting
return – less likely to be classified as a security. Oregon has recently developed rules for community solar projects, as directed by Senate Bill 1547. As
defined in this bill community solar projects must be located within the state, and projects and their
subscribers must all be within the same utility service territory. A single subscriber is defined based on
address, and some subscribers may have multiple addresses. Any single subscriber is allowed to buy in
up to their average annual electricity consumption, but cannot exceed 2MW across the program. Any
one participant (with multiple addresses) is allowed to be part of multiple projects, with limits of up to
40% of any single project, and a 4MW cap for the overall program. Each project has a maximum
allowable size of 3MW. Additional allocation requirements include at least 50% of participation must
come from residential or small commercial subscribers, and 10% of each project must be allocated to
low-income households.
Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.
Sustainable City Year Program Contact Info
Megan Banks
Sustainable City Year Program Manager
mbanks@uoregon.edu
(541) 346-6395
University Faculty Contact
Joshua Skov
Management
Instructor of Management
jskov@uoregon.edu
541-346-9060
Local Government / Community Contact
Bob Hastings
TriMet
Agency Architect