Solstice: CUB’s evaluation of Solstice’s community solar offer

Hannah — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 19:06:30 +0000

Solstice offers both market rate and income-eligible community solar deals. If you are not already familiar with community solar, we recommend reading CUB’s Introduction to Community Solar first. Learn more about Solar for All. How will signing up for the Solstice community solar offer affect my electric bill? Solstice will look at your annual electricity usage history to determine your community solar subscription size, which is measured in kilowatts (kW). Once your subscription is activated, each month, your subscription will produce solar energy, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). The supply section of your electric utility bill will be credited for what your subscription produced that month. Then, Solstice will charge you for those credits in a separate solar bill, but with a 20-60% discount applied. So, rather than paying your electric utility for that clean energy you are paying Solstice, at a discounted rate. Even though you are now receiving two bills, you should be saving money overall. Example: Say you are currently paying your electric utility 10 cents/kWh. Through Solstice community solar, you will be paying 5 cents/kWh (50% discount on the supply) for any electricity produced by the farm. Solstice works within IL Shines, the market rate program, and Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA), the income-eligible program. The discount rate you receive will depend on your income. If you are subscribed to a newer ILSFA farm, you may receive consolidated billing, meaning everything will show up on your utility bill. Your subscription size is designed to provide credits for your full electricity usage for the year, though there will be changes in your subscription’s energy production from month to month. For example, your subscription will produce less in winter, but more in summer, and your credits from the summer will rollover to help cover your electricity usage in winter. What about alternative suppliers? All customers, regardless of their alternative electricity supplier, can now receive solar bill credits as part of a community solar program. Learn more about alternative suppliers for consumers in ComEd territory and Ameren territory. What does CUB think about this offer? Community solar allows more Illinois consumers to access the benefits of clean energy, and CUB is pleased to see more offers hit the market. Solstice offers at least a 20% discount rate, which is on the higher end of the range. They also offer farms through ILSFA. You can find out which discount rate you would qualify for at Solstice’s website. We recommend comparing multiple offers and reading your contract thoroughly before signing up. This chart summarizes key points about the Solstice deal: What utility territory does the company serve? Ameren and ComEd. Does the company offer savings? Yes. Solstice offers 20-60% savings, depending on eligibility. Is there a credit check when I sign up? Yes, with some offers. Make sure to confirm when signing up. What is the contract term? 15-20 years, depending on the program. Is there an “exit fee” for leaving the contract early? None (Solstice requires 90 days’ written notice) What are my billing options? Utility Consolidated Billing or Dual Bill with Autopay, depending on the project. *Your payment is equal to the value […]

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Sunscription (US Solar): CUB’s evaluation of a new community solar offer

Hannah — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 17:10:07 +0000

This is an evaluation of Sunscription’s (US Solar) community solar offering. (If you are not already familiar with community solar, we recommend reading our Introduction to Community Solar first.) How will signing up for this community solar offer affect my electric bill? Sunscription will look at your energy usage history to determine your subscription size, measured in kilowatts (kW). Each month your subscription will produce solar energy, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Once the community solar project you are assigned to is completed, your monthly electric bill will be reduced by the community solar bill credits your subscription produces. You will also pay a second monthly bill to Sunscription. Even though you are now receiving two bills, you will still save money overall. On your utility bill you will see a credit for your community solar subscription. Sunscription will bill you for the energy generated by your subscription, with a 17% or 20% discount applied, depending on the billing option you select. That’s where the savings come in. The total amount you save monthly will vary as the solar production of your subscription varies. What about alternative suppliers? All customers, regardless of their alternative electricity supplier, can now receive solar bill credits as part of a community solar program. Click here to learn more about alternative suppliers for consumers in ComEd territory and Ameren territory. What does CUB think about this offer? Community solar allows more Illinois consumers to support renewable energy, and CUB is pleased to see more offers hit the market. We recommend comparing multiple offers and understanding all the terms before signing up for community solar. Always read your contract thoroughly. This chart summarizes key points about the Sunscription deal: What utility territory does the company serve? Ameren and ComEd. Does the company offer savings? Yes. Sunscription offers 17% or 20% off the utility default supply rate for the community solar bill credits you receive, depending on the billing option you select. Is there a credit check when I sign up? None What is the contract term? 20 years. However, you may end the contract at any time. Sunscription requires 90 days’ notice of cancellation. Is there an “exit fee” for leaving the contract early? None. Sunscription requires 90 days’ notice of cancellation. What are my billing options? Sunscription only offers automatic payments. Customers who select ACH payments will save 20% on the energy generated by their subscriptions, while customers on automatic debit or credit card payments will save 17%. When will my subscription go live? When will I start to see credits on my utility bill? This depends on when the community solar garden to which you are assigned is completed. Sunscription says that most new subscribers will begin earning solar credits in the next 3-6 months, or sooner if there is availability in operating solar gardens. The Community Solar Standard Disclosure Form you receive from Sunscription/US Solar includes the month they expect your subscription to go live in the “Subscription Specifications” section. Once you sign up you can also check your customer portal for updates on your project. What happens if I move? If you move within your current utility territory you can take your community solar subscription with you. If […]

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Solstice: CUB’s evaluation of Solstice’s community solar offer

Sunscription (US Solar): CUB’s evaluation of a new community solar offer