Frequently Asked Questions

New York Community Solar FAQ

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Community solar in New York

Who is Solar Simplified? +

Solar Simplified is a platform that matches renters and homeowners who care about the environment and want to save money on the electricity bill with local solar farms. We take the hassle out of supporting renewable energy and make the sign-up process easy and transparent!

What is Community Solar? +

Community Solar is a convenient way for homeowners, renters, nonprofits, faith institutions, and businesses to benefit from clean energy while lowering their monthly electricity expenses. As program participants, Solar Simplified customers are not required to install panels on their property. This means that you will not have to worry about the financial investment or upkeep of panels to access solar energy. Instead, you will be connected to a local solar farm within your utility territory that produces solar energy on your behalf. By supporting and participating in Community Solar, you make a collective green impact with other like-minded members of your community and see energy savings each time we apply solar credits to your utilty account.

What are Solar Credits? +

Depending on your utility and the billing program your utility is offering, your solar credits will be referenced on your electricity bill as a CDG Credit, Community Net Metering Adjustment, or similar term chosen by your utility. After your utility has determined your electricity charges for the month, they will apply the solar credits you accrued in our program toward their original charges to you. The solar credits, shown on your electricity bill as a negative amount, will offset a portion of your electricity bill charges. Your payment to your utility will already consider the impact the solar credits had on your original amount due. Whenever you receive solar credits from Solar Simplified: 1. You will receive a 10% guaranteed discount from Solar Simplified on the solar credits we provide to your utilty on your behalf 2. You will pay less for your electricity costs than your utility's original charges to you 3. Most customers will see energy savings equivalent to an average elecricity bill with in their first 12 months

Does it cost anything to enroll? Are there any fees? +

There is no cost to enroll in Community Solar; you simply pay as you go for the credits you receive! If you are not satisfied with your Solar Simplified subscription, you may cancel at any time without penalty. It’s completely risk-free.

Do I have to own a home to qualify for Solar Simplified? +

No. Whether you own or rent, you are welcome to participate in Community Solar. Commercial properties and businesses are welcome to participate as well.

Will I receive two bills? +

Community Solar customers in New York State receive a 10% guaranteed discount on the solar credits applied to their utility bills. There are two ways Community Solar customers receive their discounts (i.e., savings). Both ways are dependent on the billing structure your utility is offering currently. Please contact Solar Simplified at (888) 420-9831 for details on which billing program is available within your utility.

1. Consolidated Billing: Most New York utilities are moving to a simpler billing system that combines your Community Solar discount with your utility charges, i.e. consolidated billing. In this system, your utility will apply your accrued solar credits and your Solar Simplified discount directly to your electricity bills. Your discount will be shown as the difference between your accrued solar credits and a "subscription fee." This fee will never increase what your original electricity charges were before Community Solar.

2. Dual Billing: In this billing system your accrued solar credits offset (pay down) a portion of your original electricity charges, reducing your utility bill by that amount. You will then make a separate payment to Solar Simplified to repay us for the applied solar credits at a discounted rate. Your Community Solar invoice payments will be 10% less than what we have provided to you.

Will I save money with a Community Solar subscription? +

Yes. A Community Solar membership will reduce your monthly electric bill. Each month, your assigned solar farm will apply solar credits toward your utility's original electricity bill charges. These solar credits will be applied as a negative amount that offsets a portion of your electricity bill charges. Solar Simplified provides a discount to you for the solar credits applied to your utility biill. In New York, you will save 10¢ on every $1 of solar credits applied to your electricity bill. Our discount to you may be applied directly to your utility bill or in a separate invoice you pay Solar Simplified.

Will I ever receive surplus credits? +

Typically, your utility should apply 100% of your accrued solar credits to your electricity bill. If your accrual of solar credits is more than your originally billed charges, however, your unused credits may be banked and applied to your next month's bill. Your 10% discount will only be applied to the solar credits that your utilty used to offset their original electricity charges to you. Please see your welcome packet for more information on how our discount is provided to you.

Community Solar sounds too good to be true. Is it? +

Community Solar is a risk-free opportunity that allows residents, businesses, and nonprofits access to solar energy. It incentivises customer participation in the program, in the form of savings, and helps your state reach its green energy goals. Locally, the program is regulated by various state agencies. In New York, the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS) regulates Community Solar. The state program is incentivized and administered by the New York State Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA).

Solar panels are expensive! What is my upfront investment cost? +

Good news, there is no upfront investement cost with Community Solar! When you join Community Solar, you are not purchasing or leasing solar panels. This means that you won't be burdened by the financial investment of installing and maintaining solar panels directly on your home. The developer of the solar farm will handle all of that!

Can I set up an automatic payment with you? +

If your utility has not yet approved consolidated billing, Solar Simplified provides many convenient ways to pay your discounted invoice, including Autopay. To set up Autopay for your account, please visit solarsimplified.com/autopay or call (888) 420-9831.

What if I live in an area that isn’t very sunny? +

With Community Solar, you do not install solar panels on your property. Instead, you will be connected to a local solar farm, where solar panels have been installed. The solar farm will produce energy on your behelf and we'll distribute your portion of that energy to your utility provider. You will continue to receive your electricity service through your existing utility.

Are you an Energy Supplier (ESCO)? +

No, an Energy Supplier (ESCO) charges you for the energy your household consumes (uses). On the other hand, Solar Simplified offsets your electricity bill charges with renewable energy credits (solar credits) you accrue through our program. We help you save money on your orginal utility charges whenever solar credits are applied to your electricity bills. If your ESCO charges are consolidated with your utility's delivery charges, our solar credits will help to offset their charges, too!

Will I keep my current energy supplier? +

Yes! Nothing about your relationship with your electricity provider and supplier will change. We're not replacing them. What we will do is offset their charges to you with clean energy while helping you save money in the process.

What happens if I move? +

Please call our team as soon as you begin preparing for your move. Depending on where you move, you may be able to continue your Community Solar participation.

Will my electricity ever stop? +

No, your utility will continue to deliver electricity to you without interruption. In the event of a power outage or an emergency, please contact your utility.

What happens if there isn't much sun in my area? +

Solar farms are constructed in areas that receive adequate sunlight and are in large, unobstructed fields. The energy that is produced at these solar farms is dependent on hours of available sunlight. This means that in winter months, you may see fewer solar credits applied to your utility bill. By Spring and Summer, however, you should see more solar credits offsetting a larger portion of your electricity bill.

Can I still enroll in Community Solar if I have solar panels on my home/property? +

If you have solar panels on your home or property, you are not eligible for this Community Solar program.

What if I’m already subscribed to another Community Solar farm? +

Your state's guidelines will only allow one Community Solar program enrollment per utility account. If you would like to switch Community Solar program hosts or discuss your potential savings with Solar Simplified, please call (888) 420-9831.

What is a POD ID? +

This is specific to NYSEG (New York State Energy & Gas) customers and is a seconday account number your utility provides to you. You can find your PoD (Point of Distribution) ID on your utility bill at the top of page 3 just under the service dates. The PoD ID will begin with N01. If you're with any other utility, you can enroll using your account number.

Can I enroll in Community Solar if I am on budget billing with my utility? +

Yes, you can enroll in Community Solar even if you are on a budget billing plan.

Please keep in mind that if you are on budget billing and your account has been allocated to a consolidated billing project, your utility will continue to charge you the predetermined monthly amount. Meanwhile, monthly solar credits will be applied to your utility account. At the end of your budget cycle, during the annual reconciliation, your utility will issue a credit for any excess budget payments made while receiving solar credits. Solar credits and your discount from Solar Simplified will be directly applied to your electricity bill.

I enrolled and l don't see any Solar Credits on my bill. +

Once your assigned solar farm goes live, your utility provider will need approximately two (2) billing cycles to begin applying solar credits to your electricity bill. Each utility will reference your solar credits differently on your electricity bill. Please refer to the welcome packet you received for details about how the solar credits will be displayed on your bills. Occasionally, your utility may be unable to apply solar credits to your account before your next utiltiy bill is ready. If that happens, you won't lose those solar credits. They will most likely be banked for you and used on the following month's utility bill. Your amount due to the utility will reflect the balance of your original electricity charges after solar credits. If $0 of solar credits were applied to your bill, you will be responsible for your entire electricity bill charge for that month. Your Solar Simplified discount will be applied to the solar credits that are applied to your utility bill. Please check your welcome packet for details on how you will receive your discount.

How do I cancel my subscription? +

Most utilities may require additional time to complete their cancellation process, which includes applying all accrued solar credits to your utility statements. Please call our team at (888) 420-9831 to go over the cancellation process for your specific utility.

How can I pay my bill? +

For customers whose utilities have not yet provided consolidated billing: We have provided multiple options to make your invoice payments easy! For fastest processing, we encourage customers to make electronic payments using a debit or credit card either directly on our website's payment page or using the secure payment link in the emails we sent you. There are no card processing fees charged to you by Solar Simplified for this convenient payment option. Additionally, you may make payments over the phone, by Bill Pay through your bank, or by mailing a check to us. You may refer to your invoice or emailed bill payment reminder for more details. When making payments by check or through your bank's Bill Pay sytem, please consider the addtional time needed for mail delivery and payment processing. If your utility has provided consolidated billing, no separate payments will be necessary. Your utility will reimburse us for the solar credits they applied to your utility bill, after they have accounted for our discount to you. For most NY utilities, this 90% reimbursement is referenced as a Subscription fee that does not increase your original electricity charges. The remaining 10% are the savings that we pass along to you.