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OurGreenCommunity.org
SMUD is underwriting OurGreenCommunity.org, a web site developed to help improve the quality of life by providing a place for area residents, groups and businesses to share ideas about reducing the impact of carbon emissions from all sources.
Visit and join in the conversation, at OurGreenCommunity.org
SolarShares: Solar for everyone
Clean energy should be available and affordable for everyone. But putting a solar system on the roof of a single-family home hasn't been an option for everyone.
With SMUD's SolarShares program, nobody gets left out. You can buy power from the sun no matter what your housing situation -- and the power you buy is generated locally.
For a fixed monthly price based on your usage, the SolarShares pilot program gives a credit on your bill every month for solar power produced on a local "solar farm." And SolarShares is portable: When you move, you can take it with you.
An easy, affordable way to get solar power
SolarShares is the first program of its kind, and the largest in the nation. The new 1MW SolarShares system is in Sacramento County with the capacity to serve between 800 and 1,000 customers. You can be part of this innovative effort to support local renewable energy for a cleaner environment.
When you participate in SolarShares, the amount of electricity you receive will vary by the amount of sunshine and by season. You'll receive higher amounts of electricity when you need it most -- on hot summer days. The monthly amount of SolarShares power generated by your system will show as a credit on your bill and reduce the amount of non-renewable power that you pay for, after the cost of your program involvement is deducted. The average monthly cost to participate in the program is expected to be somewhere between $4 and $50 a month depending on your energy use and the size of the system you choose.
Interested in enrolling?
The SolarShares solar farm came online on July 14, 2008. You can enroll today through Your Account or online. For more information, call 1-888-742-SMUD (7683) or email solarshares@smud.org.
Frequently asked questions
How does SolarShares work?
SolarShares is an alternative to owning a solar system that you will need to pay several thousand upfront to purchase, or pay a few hundred dollars a month on a loan payment until the system is paid off. With SolarShares, the fixed monthly fees to participate start at $10.75 per month for a 0.5kW system for small energy users. After your monthly fee, the amount of power generated by your share shows as a credit on your bill -- expected to average about $4 a month. And that offsets the amount you pay for electricity produced through other methods.
How does SolarShares affect my bill?
You pay a flat monthly fee to subscribe to the SolarShares system. The flat monthly fee is determined based upon your historical energy use and the size system you choose.
You will receive energy credits to your bill for the amount of solar power your SolarShares subscription generates.
Both the flat monthly fee and the energy credits from the solar power will be consolidated on your regular SMUD bill.I am a renter, live in a condo, or live in a multi-family building. May I join SolarShares?
Everyone is eligible. Because the solar panels are on a local "solar farm," you don't have to have your own home to participate. And if you do own your own home, you're still welcome.
What happens if I move?
If you stay within SMUD territory, you can take SolarShares with you.
Sunlight is free. Why should I have to pay for solar energy?
The equipment needed to convert the sunlight into electricity costs money. SolarShares allows you use solar energy for a reasonable monthly fee rather than paying a large upfront cost for a rooftop system.
How much will SolarShares cost me?
While you will pay a fixed monthly program fee, the impact to your bill will vary each month. You'll see the most benefit on the hottest summer days, when solar output is highest. These are days when you often need to pay more for energy based on SMUD's tiered rates system. An average residential customer using 9,300 kWh a year would see an approximately 10.7 percent increase in the household bill over a 12 month period.
I was quoted an average increase to my SMUD bill. Why is the impact to my bill different this month compared to last month?
To participate in SolarShares, you will be paying a fixed monthly fee, the amount depending upon what size system you choose. Since your SolarShares subscription performs just like a rooftop system, the solar system produces more energy in sunny months as compared to less sunny months. You get greater benefits in the summer than the winter.
Why is my neighbor paying a different fee for SolarShares?
A number of factors determine what you will pay for participating in SolarShares -- how much energy you use, when you use energy, and what size SolarShares system you choose. Your neighbor likely has a different power profile and uses energy differently.
How much energy does SMUD's SolarShares "solar farm" generate?
The first SolarShares system is 1MW, and should produce on average 1,736,402 kWh per year. Given that solar is clean energy, the solar power generated reduces greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to planting 307 acres of pine trees.
What's the difference between Greenergy and SolarShares?
What these program have in common is that they help support renawable power and environmental impact of more tradition power generation. But the similarities end there:
- SolarShares is 100% solar generation, where Greenergy is a mix of different types of renewable energy resources, such as wind and biomass (see Greenergy Product Content Label)
- SolarShares is 100% local - the SolarShares "solar farm" is located within SMUD territory, providing local environmental benefits.
- Like owning a solar system, you will see an energy credit on your SMUD bill for the amount of solar energy generated by your SolarShares system each month. The amount of solar energy you get each month depends upon how much the sun shines - more in the summer, less in the winter.
- The fixed monthly fee for SolarShares is guaranteed to not increase as long as you are a SMUD customer.
Can I cancel at any time?
Because the sun shines more in the summer and less in the winter, we ask that you stay on the program for a full year to get the true experience of having a solar system. After the first year, you can cancel at any time. If you wish to cancel prior to the first12 months, you will be charged a $100 fee.
I would like to sign up for enough SolarShares to cover 100 percent of my energy usage, but the only choices available to me aren't enough. Can I sign up for a larger system than those offered?
Because this first phase of the SolarShares Program is a pilot, we are limiting the sizes of systems to allow more customers to participate. If you are interested in a larger system, please let us know. It will help us plan when to build the next solar farm. When a new solar farm or larger systems are available, we will be sure to contact you.