The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has released a new report to aid policymakers when it comes to siting community solar projects. The framework outlined in the report offers guidance for the siting, design, and operation of community solar projects, with the particular aims of protecting natural ecosystems and preserving the identity of communities. The report also dispels a number of myths around the local impact of community solar and addresses common concerns residents may have about further deployment of community solar in their area.
The report emphasizes the importance of further community solar deployment across the United States, with the SEIA highlighting the wide-ranging benefits of the shared solar model. Well-designed community solar projects can lead to increased crop and clean energy production, while also protecting soils and providing habitat for a number of species. These benefits are at the core of this new report, which is centered on the idea that a well-designed community solar project can offer advantages for the ecosystem and agriculture.
The report goes on to suggest that policymakers should deploy existing tools to avoid, minimize, and mitigate any environmental impacts which may be associated with the construction of community solar projects. For decades now, builders have been required to assess the environmental impact of proposed projects—these tools can also be applied to community solar projects.
The report also stresses that significantly more community solar deployment will be necessary if we are to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and meet our aggressive renewable energy goals. Ultimately, it is hoped that the framework suggested in this report will be used by policymakers to overcome the challenges of siting more community solar projects, aiding in the task of meeting the aforementioned renewable energy goals.
The full report, entitled ‘Community Solar Project Siting: A Framework for Producing Zero Carbon Electricity and Serving Ecosystem Enhancement & Conservation’, is available to download here.
Community Solar By The Numbers
Community solar has seen significant growth in recent years, with more than 3.6 GW of community solar projects in operation across the U.S. as of Q3 2021. Additionally, a recent report from Wood Mackenzie found that the community solar market is expected to add a further 4.5 GW of capacity across the next five years. The value of community solar is becoming clear for all to see, and the National Community Solar Partnership, a program from the Department of Energy, has set a target of enabling sufficient community solar to power the equivalent of 5 million households—enough to achieve $1 billion in combined energy bill savings.
Are you interested in community solar? Reach out to YSG Solar today. We will identify the ideal community solar project for your energy needs and guide you through the entire subscription process from start to finish, ensuring the greatest possible savings on your utility bill. Call the office at 212.389.9215 or send us an email to learn how it all works.
YSG Solar is a project development company responsible for commoditizing energy infrastructure projects. We work with long-term owners and operators to provide clean energy assets with stable, predictable cash flows. YSG's market focus is distributed generation and utility-scale projects located within North America.
Sources:
https://www.seia.org/news/solar-industry-releases-new-framework-help-community-solar-siting
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2022/02/28/seia-offers-framework-for-siting-community-solar-projects/
Featured Photo by Ikrom Chinaski on Unsplash.
