Community Solar: Market Growth Opportunities & Models That Deliver Low-Income Development & Community Engagement

Recorded on May 17, 2022

With over 4.5 GWac of community solar projects installed through 2021, community solar is one of the fastest growing industry segments. Furthermore, community solar and other DG markets in the US are increasingly restructuring to direct financial benefit and/or ownership to low and moderate income (LMI) communities. New York, for instance, has a target of 10 GW of distributed solar—3.5 GW of which must serve LMI customers.

This session will look at:

• The community solar (CS) landscape and emerging market trends
• Tips for CS project due diligence and developing a bankable project: the role of developers, asset owners, financiers, and subscriber organizations
• How CS programs targeting LMI communities are fundamentally re-prioritizing policy, markets/market access, community outreach, and customer care
• Considerations for expanding market access for LMI communities equitably and shaping policy to support market evolution while preserving customer protections
• Successful models for developers and asset owners in supporting this transition