1.0Citizens Utility Boardhttps://www.citizensutilityboard.orgrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="bUXnbBiNdX"><a href="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2020/10/27/arcadia-cubs-evaluation-of-a-new-community-solar-offer/">Arcadia: CUB’s evaluation of a new community solar offer</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2020/10/27/arcadia-cubs-evaluation-of-a-new-community-solar-offer/embed/#?secret=bUXnbBiNdX" width="600" height="338" title="“Arcadia: CUB’s evaluation of a new community solar offer” — Citizens Utility Board" data-secret="bUXnbBiNdX" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> This is an evaluation of Arcadia’s 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 the Arcadia community solar offer affect my electric bill? When you sign up for community solar, you are subscribing to a portion of the project’s monthly output. Arcadia will analyze your household’s energy demand to determine your subscription size.  Each month, Arcadia will report the output of your subscription to your electric utility, and the utility company will add a credit to your electric bill equal to that output. You will also pay a second monthly bill to Arcadia. Arcadia will bill you for the energy generated by your subscription, with a 10% discount applied. That’s where the savings come in.   So, rather than paying your electric utility for that clean energy, you are paying the community solar company at a discounted rate. The total amount you save monthly will vary as the solar production of your subscription varies. Example: Say you are currently paying your electric utility 10 cents/kWh. Through community solar, you will be paying 9 cents/kWh (10% discount on the supply) for any electricity produced by the farm. 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 enjoy the benefits of renewable energy, and CUB is pleased to see these offers hit the market. Arcadia promises 10-20% savings on the supply, depending on income. Be sure to find out which discount rate you would qualify for. Visit Solar in the Community to see CUB’s analysis of other deals available in Illinois. This chart summarizes key points about the Arcadia deal: What utility territory does the company serve? Ameren and ComEd. Does the company offer savings? Yes. Arcadia offers 10-20% (depending on income)  off the utility default supply rate for the community solar bill credits you receive. Is there a credit check when I sign up? No. What is the contract term? Up to 15 years. Is there an “exit fee” for leaving the contract early? No, but 90 days’ notice is required. What are my billing options? Dual Billing (autopay required) or Consolidated Billing, depending on project. 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. The Community Solar Standard Disclosure Form you receive from Arcadia 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 you move outside of the utility territory, you can either assign your subscription to someone else. (That person must first properly enroll in the community […]https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Community-solar-billing-v3-scaled.jpg25602034