You don’t need rooftop panels to go solar. Maryland’s community solar program allows residents to benefit from clean and affordable energy without installing anything at home. In fact, participating in community solar will save you money and stress! Read on to understand your savings, how it works, and how to sign up.
What Is Maryland Community Solar?
Community solar (sometimes called “shared solar”) is a program for families, businesses and other organizations in Maryland that helps lower electricity bills. It lets multiple households or businesses share the benefits of a single solar farm through a subscription model. Instead of installing and owning solar panels on your roof, you subscribe to a portion of a local solar farm and receive the financial benefits from the energy it produces.
This model is especially helpful for renters, condo owners, or anyone whose property isn’t suitable for solar panels due to shading, roof limitations, or cost barriers.
Maryland’s Community Solar Energy Generating Systems (CSEGS) Program is a fairly new, but permanent, statewide initiative that enables community solar. Like many other states, it uses solar credits to pass savings to subscribers. When residents and businesses subscribe to community solar, they receive solar credits applied directly to their utility bills for their share of the solar farm. They pay for those credits at a lower rate, typically offering savings at around 10%.
Benefits include:
- No upfront costs or hidden fees (these savings are free!)
- No rooftop or maintenance required
- Support your local economy and renewable energy
Once subscribed to the solar farm, you will start seeing community solar credits on your monthly electricity bill.
How Does Community Solar Work?
At its core, community solar functions as a subscription service tied to a local solar farm. Here’s how it works:
- A solar farm is built and connected to the grid.
- These are usually large arrays located within your utility service area.
- You subscribe to a portion of the project.
- This subscription represents your “share” of the energy produced.
- The solar farm generates electricity.
- That electricity is sent to the grid, not directly to your home.
- You receive bill credits.
- Your savings will show up monthly on your utility bills as a negative monetary amount. You receive a flat 10% savings on the value of your community solar credits.
- You will see the credits and savings for community solar applied directly to your utility bill. So, you end up saving each and every month!
- Continue receiving bill from current utility
- Solar credits applied directly to utility bill
- No costs or hidden fees
- Hands-off savings process
Who Is Eligible for Maryland Community Solar?
One of the biggest advantages of community solar is its accessibility! In Maryland, many electricity customers can participate, provided they meet a few basic criteria.
You are eligible if you are:
- Located within the same utility service area as the solar project
- Responsible for paying your own electricity bill
- Unlike rooftop solar, there’s no requirement for home ownership, roof suitability, or upfront investment.
Some projects may also include higher savings options specifically designed for income-qualified households, depending on the developer and their availability.
How Do I Enroll?
Getting started with community solar is usually quick and simple. While the exact steps may vary slightly depending on the provider, signing up with PureSky is quick and easy!
- Fill out our Check Availability Form or fill in your zip code below.
- We will reach out to you for your utility bill information, so we can size your subscription to our solar farm.
- You will sign a non-binding contract, meaning you may cancel at any time without penalty.
- Sit back and start saving!
Sign Up for Savings Today
Join our community of over 10,000 community solar subscribers, enjoying clean energy savings and powering change within their local communities!
Final Thoughts About Maryland Community Solar
Community solar is a simple way for Maryland residents to participate in renewable energy without installing solar panels. With flexible eligibility and no equipment required, it provides an accessible path to cleaner energy for many households and businesses.
If you’ve been considering solar but aren’t sure where to start, community solar offers an easy entry point helping you support renewable energy while lowering your electricity costs.
Email customercare@pureskyenergy.com or call +1(877)267-8727 with any questions.
