When you subscribe to a Groundswell project,
we share solar savings with an Empowered household.
Empowered Households are low-income households in your community who qualify for affordable solar energy to power their homes. Through Groundswell’s Community Solar Program, this opportunity is thanks to the participation of others in their community who pay the average market rate.
What community solar means for you and your community
Locally-generated solar power for about the same price as you pay the utility for conventional energy.
Solar savings. For every 3–5 households who subscribe to a Groundswell community solar project, we can enroll an Empowered household at no cost and cut their electricity bill by about 50%.
A Groundswell Community Solar project has a system size of 250kW. That's enough energy to support 83 households in the local community. Of those households 19 are Empowered Households (low-income neighbors who struggle with the burden of high energy bills). Over a period of 20 years that creates an economic benefit of $187,625 to families in the neighborhood.
To participate in the Community Solar program, you must reside in one of Groundswell’s service areas: Maryland, Georgia, or the District of Columbia. And, because utility prices vary by state, subscription pricing will be based on the specific community solar project you join.
Rest assured, we will provide you with rate information for you to consider.
The next round of subscriber applications is currently being accepted.
To participate, please sign up today. Groundswell will get in touch with you by email to provide the next steps.
Groundswell’s Share Power™ community solar program is available to everyone, regardless if you rent or own. Get started by seeing if there is a community solar project in your area. In addition, participation in Share Power™ is flexible– Groundswell doesn’t require long term contracts, and your subscription can move with you within the same electricity service territory.
No. That’s the best part! Your community solar project will be generating clean energy from a central location such as a local church, school, or apartment complex. There is no need to install anything on your home or apartment.
Share Power™ monthly subscriptions cost less than $50 a month. Monthly subscription fees will vary based on the project you join because of subscription size, energy production and/or the electricity territory. The cost of a solar subscription typically nets the same or less than what one pays their electricity provider for the same amount of traditional power. Best of all, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that a portion of the energy you’re using is clean!
Your subscription fees are billed in advance and in quarterly installments (once every 3 months). In return, Groundswell works with the local utility provider to establish and manage your community solar account. Once established, a solar credit will appear on your monthly bill for your share of solar power produced that month. The credit amount may vary month-to-month based on the volume of sunlight received and energy produced by the project.
Unlike other community solar subscriptions fees that may fluctuate without warning, your Share Power™ monthly subscription fee is locked at a set amount for up to two years. Please note that paid subscription fees are not refundable, but that you can cancel your contract for a future date at any time without penalty.
The timing of when you will begin to receive solar credits on your electric bill will vary from project to project. Some projects we offer are live and some projects are still under construction. If a project is under construction, the sign-up page will indicate its estimated timeframe for completion. If a live project is available, solar credits can appear on your bill as early as the month following activation of your subscription. Groundswell works with the utility to expedite the bill crediting process.
Spaces for our available community solar projects are filled on a first-come first-serve basis. If all spaces are filled, we encourage you to sign up for our wait list to secure your place in line for the next available project. A $20 refundable reservation fee is required to join the wait list. Your reservation fee will be applied to your first month’s subscription fee. Should you ever want to remove yourself from the wait list, simply contact our customer service team at customerservice@groundswell.org or 202-505-3051 and we will issue a full refund.
First, you must be a customer of the electricity provider in the territory where our projects are located in order to participate. For instance, in Washington, DC, subscribers must be a Pepco DC customer and must provide a copy of their electricity bill in order to complete the enrollment process. Click here to see a list of our projects and the electricity provider associated with the project.
Second, every Groundswell Share Power™ community solar project has both Market Rate subscribers— who pay a monthly fee for their subscription and Empowered, or income-qualified, subscribers— who receive their subscription at no cost.
Groundswell Customer Service Team
202-505-3051
customerservice@groundswell.org
Groundswell’s Share Power™ program guarantees that a portion of electricity from every one of our projects is shared at no cost with Empowered, or income-qualified, households; helping them to cut their monthly electricity bill nearly in half.
For DC residents, if you or someone you know has received any one of the following benefits in the last twelve months, you are eligible to receive a no-cost subscription to Groundswell’s DC-based community solar projects (pending availability):
If you do not receive any of the above benefits, but meet the minimum household income criteria, please visit the DC Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) website and complete the application to qualify for LIHEAP assistance. Once approved by DOEE, you will become eligible to enroll in our Share Power™ program.
Groundswell is committed to providing a respectful, best-in-class customer service experience. We understand that sometimes the enrollment process can be confusing or overwhelming which is why we have used Human Center Design research to create an experience that provides our customers with the necessary support and assistance they need to successfully sign up for our Share Power™ program. Our dedicated Customer Service team is available via phone, email or you can schedule an in-person visit.
Groundswell Customer Service
202-505-3051
customerservice@groundswell.org
Yes, you can! Please note that your community solar credits will not offset the budget installment amount. The solar credits will reduce the electric charges, and a recalculation will occur during the 12 month period if you have a large budget difference. If you have paid more in budget installments than actual electric charges, you will receive a credit settlement in the 12th month.
Solar for All DC, a program of the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment, seeks to provide the benefits of solar electricity to 100,000 low-income households and reduce their energy bills by 50% by 2032. The program, which was established by the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Expansion Amendment Act of 2016, is funded by the Renewable Energy Development Fund (REDF).
Groundswell is proud to participate in the Solar for All DC program. Our projects at the Dupont Park Seventh Day Adventist Church and St. Luke Baptist Church will deliver 100% of the electricity they generate to income-qualified families in the community at no cost as part of the Solar for All DC program, cutting each family’s utility bill in half.
For more information about Solar for All visit: http://doee.dc.gov/solarforall
Your community solar agreement locks in your subscription price for the length of your contract. If electricity rates increase in the future (which they often do), your savings will only increase! You will not be asked to sign a lengthy (5-15+ year) contract as offered by other providers. Your Share Power™ contract can be cancelled at any time with no penalty.
While Groundswell is working hard to expand the over three MW (Megawatts) of community solar currently in development in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Illinois, and Hawaii with an additional 50 MW of utility solar development in Georgia, we may not have a community solar available in your area.
Click here to sign up for our monthly e-newsletter so we can stay connected and share updates on our latest projects and progress. By doing so, you are showing the support necessary to bring the benefits of community solar to your city and the opportunity to Share Power™ with our neighbors in need.
We hate to see you leave! If there is anything we can do to better serve you, please let us know. Otherwise, subscriptions can be cancelled by contacting Groundswell’s Customer Service Team at customerservice@groundswell.org or at 202-505-3051. Contracts can be cancelled with no penalty, however we are unable to refund any subscription fees that have already been paid. We will cancel your account and stop the billing for any future fees and remove your name from the project list.
We’re here to help. customerservice@groundswell.org 202.505.3051
