How Community Solar Is Coming to the Rescue of the Utility Companies

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April 21, 2015 | By RGR Marketing Blog

Solar Is Hot: But How Can It Help Communities?

The public’s appetite for renewable energy is growing more voracious by the second. The past decade, especially the second half of it, has been a period of rapid growth for solar power.

Now that solar energy has reached a level of affordability that makes it quite competitive with traditional energy providers, major utilities are faced with a new set of challenges. So what about community solar -- does it represent a potential solution?

The Grid Won’t Maintain Itself

There’s a misconception that people who install solar panels on their homes are living “off the grid,” using batteries to store generated power for later use.

With the exception of those who live far from the rest of civilization, battery backup systems simply aren’t that practical or desirable for most users. Power storage systems are available, but they’re bulky and costly, and they require more maintenance than solar panels, which, aside from the occasional cleaning, require virtually none.

As a result, the vast majority of those who own photovoltaic systems remain tied to the power grid, even if they don’t draw any electricity from it. That power grid infrastructure still has to be maintained by the utilities, even as more consumers make the switch to solar, reducing operating budgets for utility companies across the country.

Power companies are making efforts to run leaner operation, adopting remote meter-reading systems and automating many of the processes that used to require manpower, but there’s no doubt that change is on the horizon, and that they’ll have to adapt to this new disruptive technology if they are to survive.

Community Shared Solar Arrays Help Utilities

Utilities are also facing increasing consumer demand for renewable energy. As the general public (often led by the celebrity trend of adopting solar power) becomes more concerned about the scientific community’s troubling climate change warnings, they’re demanding increased accountability, and even those who aren’t willing or able to purchase their own solar arrays would like to see their providers source the energy they sell more sustainably.

Community solar lets consumers and utilities buy into shared solar arrays, eliminating the necessity of installing their own photovoltaic systems. This benefits energy providers by allowing them to sell renewable energy to their clients without the up-front costs associated with erecting their own solar farms.

Utilities get to inexpensively diversify their portfolio of energy offerings, and consumers are given the choice to switch to eco-friendly solar power. It sounds like a win-win for everybody.

Only time will tell how the utilities will evolve and adapt in the years to come, but those that take advantage of community solar initiatives while investigating new energy sources are likely to have a smoother transition into the future of energy than those that stubbornly cling to the old ways of doing things.

If you're a solar panel installer and you're looking for more information on where to buy quality exclusive solar leads for your business, look no further. RGR Marketing has the best solar leads anywhere.

[Photo Via: NYT]

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Solar Is Hot: But How Can It Help Communities?

The Grid Won’t Maintain Itself

Community Shared Solar Arrays Help Utilities

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Solar Is Hot: But How Can It Help Communities?

The Grid Won’t Maintain Itself

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