Community Solar Farms Arrive in the Hudson Valley

Across the country, NRG Community Solar is championing a new model for clean energy generation, not to mention potential energy savings, through their Community Solar program. The company’s first New York solar farm in Minisink, NY is the largest Community Solar farm in New York state, with 16,000 solar panels and 5.29MW of generating capacity. For Hudson Valley residents and businesses, that means there is now a convenient and practical way to go solar, without rooftop installation. Better yet, the solar power is locally-produced.

How Does Community Solar Work?

Rather than the potentially costly, and often prohibitive, approach of mounting solar arrays on the rooftops of individual homes or businesses, NRG Community Solar builds sizeable photovoltaic farms that enable the shared solar opportunity— the energy produced goes directly to the local power grid, and participating customers receive solar credits for the same energy generated, which can help reduce their utility bill over time.

“The model is similar to Community Supported Agriculture. By subscribing, you are supporting the viability of the local solar farm and clean energy generation for the local community,” says Krishna Patel, Director at NRG Community Solar. “And like a CSA, your basket [i.e. energy credits] might vary every month, based on production and the time of year.”

After a free consultation, customers receive a quote for the subscription cost they would pay NRG Community Solar monthly in exchange for the solar credits generated by the assigned portion of the farm. Once a homeowner subscribes to the program and the farm is active, these solar credits show up as a line item deduction on their utility bill. In the long term, the subscription fee model helps to insulate homeowners against unpredictable utility costs. “We want to provide a rate that positively impacts their energy costs for the long term,” Patel says.

Open Enrollment

Aside from the Minisink farm (which is at subscription capacity), NRG Community Solar is in development on 11 other Community Solar farms in Dutchess, Ulster, and Greene Counties, all of which are actively accepting enrollments. Customers do not get billed until the farm goes live, and the company makes a point of keeping subscribers informed of updates along the way.

NRG Community Solar’s program will be an integral part of making the shift to green energy, as New York State works to ensure that 50 percent of its electricity will come from renewable sources by 2030.

To learn more, visit nrgcommunitysolar.com, or call 1.855.813.5002 for a free, no obligation consultation.