Contrary to what some may say, solar is for everyone and not just,”rich people”.
An outdated line that some may tout that, ‘solar is just for rich people:” may have been true – 15 or 20 years ago. It’s a fallacy today.
Since 2010, the price of installing solar on residential and commercial rooftops has fallen between 60 and 70 percent. Plus, newer solar panels and inverters are more efficient and have a longer lifespan. They’re both better AND cost less.
And thanks to Washington state incentives like net metering and zero sales tax, and federal tax incentives, rooftop solar is no longer a financial stretch for middle class homeowners. These tools make this important resources widely-accessible.
That’s great news – IF you own and live in a single family home. But that’s only about one-third of Washington’s electrical consumers. If you’re a condo owner or a renter of any kind, you don’t qualify.
But there is a way for renters to save money on their electric bills – and fight climate change – by buying clean, low cost solar. It’s known as community solar.
Community solar puts solar panels on vacant lots or large commercial or public building rooftops instead of homes. Some community solar projects allow you to purchase panels directly (called an ownership model).
Buying a specific amount of electricity (rather than the panels themselves) called a subscription model. Either way, you’re getting electricity at a lower rate than you would pay for traditional utilities, and you’ll see a lower electricity bill each month.
Community solar is the next tool in the toolbox, after net-metering. It fulfills the promise of “clean solar for all.”
