Pre-Enrollment for Georgia Power’s New Community Solar Program Begins

Georgia Power to launch Community Solar, the latest way for residential customers to get involved in helping support the growth and development of renewable energy in Georgia.

Residential customers can subscribe to receive a bill credit based on actual production at a solar plant through the new program, currently open for pre-enrollment at GeorgiaPower.com/CommunitySolar.  

This new program was planned in coordination with and approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission.

Community Solar launching in January 2018, is perfect for residential customers who want to support solar, particularly those who are unable to set up a photovoltaic (PV) system at their homes, including condominium owners and renters, or homeowners with restrictive covenants or shaded roof space. The program will be supported by 3 MW of new Georgia Power solar facilities including a 2 MW facility presently under construction close to Athens, Georgia.

The Community Solar initiative is the latest addition to a wide variety of Georgia Power programs available that make it possible for more customers to support the growth of solar energy. Georgia is a national solar leader because of efforts like Community Solar that benefit all customers and diversify our fuel mix, while also driving the expansion of renewable energy resources in the state.

Wilson Mallard, Director of Renewable Development, Georgia Power

The cost to take part in the program will be $24.99 per 1 kW block per month in exchange for a monthly credit based on a solar plant's production. Customers are restricted to their estimated monthly energy usage and a maximum of 10 1 kW blocks, with a total of 3,000 blocks provided for subscription. The monthly credit may only be used to offset a part of the customer's electric consumption from Georgia Power for that month and does not have cash value. The solar production of a 1 kW subscription block will differ due to number of cloudy days, season, and other factors, but is estimated to be in the range of 130 – 240 kW-hours per month.

Georgia Power's strong renewable development strategy includes advanced customer programs such as Simple Solar, as well as large-scale initiatives such as the Renewable Energy Development Initiative (REDI) and the Advanced Solar Initiative (ASI). The company has the largest voluntary renewable portfolio in the country and currently has around 900 MW* of solar capacity in operation, with increasing growth year over year since 2013. Through sustained expansion of solar at Georgia military bases, execution of the new REDI, as well as other solar projects and programs, the company hopes to add up to 1,600 MW* of extra renewable capacity by 2021.

* REC Disclaimer: Every megawatt hour of electricity produced by an eligible solar generation resource creates a Renewable Energy Credit (REC). Georgia Power purchases only the null energy output from some renewable generating facilities that have contracted to sell that energy to Georgia Power. Ownership of the associated RECs is specified in each respective power purchase agreement. The party that owns the RECs retains the right to use them.