Match the program
Use the utility name on your bill—not just your ZIP code—to confirm account eligibility.
Solar access beyond the rooftop
Rent your home.
Share the sun.
Community solar can let renters support a shared solar project and receive electricity-bill credits—without installing panels.
Independent guidance · Official sources · Reviewed July 18, 2026
Plain EnglishNo energy-industry degree required
Renter firstNo roof or landlord approval needed for most off-site programs
Source checkedProgram details link to agencies and utilities
Community solar, simply
What is community solar?
You keep your apartment and utility account. The panels are usually somewhere else. Depending on the program, you may pay a provider separately or see charges and credits together on one bill.
See the full two-minute explanationA better way to evaluate an offer
Three checks before you subscribe
Availability is local. Contract quality is personal. Check both.
Follow the money
Compare every credit, subscription payment, fee and annual increase across a full year.
Plan for moving
Get transfer, cancellation, waitlist and complaint rules in writing before you sign.
Start with what is official
State community solar guides
State guide
California
California has several shared-renewables pathways, but the right one depends on your utility or community choice aggregator, income eligibility, and location. Start with your electricity provider and the CPUC program page; do not assume every program is open in every territory.
Read the California guideState guide
Maine
Maine calls its community-solar credit system Net Energy Billing. A customer of Central Maine Power or an eligible Versant Power district can subscribe to a project in the same utility territory and receive kilowatt-hour credits, usually while paying a separate solar-company bill.
Read the Maine guideState guide
Massachusetts
Massachusetts renters may be able to join a community shared solar project and receive credits on an electric account without installing panels. Availability and credit mechanics depend on the project, utility territory, account eligibility, and contract.
Read the Massachusetts guideState guide
Minnesota
Minnesota’s current Low- and Moderate-Income Accessible Community Solar Garden Program is open to Xcel Energy customers in Minnesota, subject to project capacity. Customers enroll with a state-approved private operator and receive monthly solar credits on their Xcel bill.
Read the Minnesota guideOne useful place to begin
Have your electric bill nearby?
We’ll show you which details matter and where to check for a legitimate local program.