Solar Farms Offer Renewable Power for the Rest of Us

Even if they’re motivated to install solar, most people can’t install enough photovoltaic (PV) panels to meet their energy needs because they rent, don’t have the budget, or don’t have the right site—either lacking in roof space, land, or solar orientation.

Pooling resources with other projects to create community-based solar “farms” has long had the potential to make PV more accessible, but the practice has been slow to take off. Challenges include complying with relevant state and local regulations, financing and insuring systems, navigating the demands of utilities, and managing customer billing. One company has solved many of these issues, however, and is developing community solar arrays throughout much of the U.S.: Clean Energy Collective (CEC).