FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What Happens When the Power Goes Out?
Your Most Pressing Questions Answered Here! Browse our FAQs.
- What is Community Solar?
- Subscription & Service Questions
- Billing & Savings Questions
No. With community solar, there is NO home installation or setup required. Solar energy is provided through your local community solar farm. To learn more, watch our YouTube video, Community Solar Explained.
We partner with local farmers and landowners for community solar development projects. You can learn more about this process by reading our blog, ‘What Goes into Building a Solar Farm’ or watching our YouTube video
Watch our introduction to community solar video on YouTube for a full explanation of how local community solar farms work!
To learn more about supplying your business with community solar, contact the Nautilus team and we’ll get back to you shortly!
We have community solar farms in six states, including Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, and Rhode Island, and additional solar projects in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New Mexico.
If your state has enacted a community solar program, you may be eligible to qualify for community solar, which will lower your electric bill and benefit the environment and your local community.
To see if you are eligible, find your local solar community electricity provider here.
Everyone! You lower your energy bill and contribute to a healthier community (or your community lowers its carbon footprint.)
There's no catch...guaranteed! Often people confuse community solar with rooftop solar but there's no equipment, installation, or financial investment needed. You simply sign up and the power comes through your existing grid from our community solar farms.
Yes! From reducing greenhouse gas emissions to preserving nature and wildlife, community solar offers sustainable energy solutions for the future. Learn more about how community solar is helping to save the planet.
As one of the leading solar community development companies in the US and Canada, we love to partner with farmers and landowners to find ways for you to optimize your underdeveloped or underused land. Our team can help educate you on solar farm development, tax incentives, partnership programs, financing, solar farm ROI, and more. Reach out to us today and we’ll be happy to speak with you!
If you haven’t already, explore our Solar Insights Blog and our YouTube channel for in-depth videos on how solar farms are built, how the energy flows to each local community, and how the solar energy subscription programs work.
The Find Your Community tool on our website will locate our community solar projects in your area. Due to local government community solar policies, availability varies by state.
There is absolutely NO cost to subscribe to Nautilus Community Solar! We work through your existing utility company to provide green, clean solar energy to your home or business.
There are a limited number of subscriptions available for each solar farm, however, so space is limited.
Yes! Nautilus Community Solar eco energy subscription is available whether you rent or own your home. To learn more, watch our YouTube Video ‘You Don’t Need to Own a Home to Get Clean Energy.’
A community solar subscription works by providing clean solar energy from a local farm directly to your home or business through your existing power lines and your current utility company service.
Learn more about the entire process by watching our in-depth YouTube video.
Subscribing to community solar is fast and easy! Grab your current utility company login credentials OR a copy of your current utility bill AND a credit card or your banking information to set up recurring billing.
Next, simply fill out the enrollment form here.
Watch our YouTube video to learn more.
YES. Harvesting solar power is less expensive than other forms of energy and we pass that savings along to you - lowering your monthly bill by 10% or more!
Subscriptions to Nautilus Community Solar are free and can be canceled at any time. With a limited number of subscriptions available for each project, space is limited.
You can cancel at any time without fees.
No annual contract is required, and you can cancel at any time without penalty.
If there is a community solar farm in your area, your subscription can move with you.
No! Nautilus Community Solar partners with your local utility company to provide eco energy through your existing power lines and your current service provider. The only thing you have to do is enroll!
Depending on the state in which you live, and the option you choose, there are several ways you could be billed.
One Bill Option
In some states, customers have the opportunity to select a one-bill option. In this case, you will receive one monthly statement from Nautilus Community Solar which itemizes your supply, delivery and services costs charged by your utility, along with your solar energy credits and discount you receive from Nautilus.
Two Bill Option
Bill #1 – From Your Utility Includes your normal electricity supply, delivery, and service charges. The bill will also include a deduction for the full value of Solar Credits you earned for the solar energy produced. Your bill will be much smaller. The second bill will cover the electricity charges.
Bill # 2 – From Nautilus Solar Energy Includes the charge for your Solar Credits minus your discount (10-15% or more). The Nautilus invoice may reflect your credits from a previous billing period. This is because your Solar Credits are transferred from your utility company to Nautilus a billing cycle or two after they appear on your monthly utility bill, as they match solar electricity production with payment for the solar energy purchased from Nautilus.
New York Only
For some NY customers, all invoicing will be managed by your utility as part of NY’s Net Crediting Program. In those cases, you won’t receive a bill from Nautilus Solar.
Yes, community solar programs are one solution that makes renewable energy more affordable and accessible to a wider demographic, including low-to-moderate-income (LMI) families. Many state community solar programs include LMI carve-outs that specifically allocate a portion of a community solar farm to these households.
Additionally, certain states have their own initiatives; Maryland, for example, dedicates 51% of a farm's energy to LMI households and includes a discount of 25% off their energy bills. These programs and incentives demonstrate a commitment to ensuring that the financial benefits of renewable energy are extended to those who might otherwise be unable to afford them.
If you wish to cancel your subscription, you may do so at any time, without penalty, by contacting us. Or see our contact information at the bottom of this page to call or email.
No. We do not require you to sign an annual contract, and you can cancel at any time without penalty.
If you are moving within the same utility territory and within your state, your subscription can move with you.
YES. Harvesting solar power is less expensive than other forms of energy and we pass that savings along to you - lowering your monthly bill by a guaranteed 10% or more!
How soon you see savings depends on the status of your community solar farm.
If Your Solar Farm is Already Generating Power You can see your Solar Credits on your electricity bill as soon as the next billing cycle.
If Your Solar Farm is Under Construction
It may take 4-5 months until you start to see your Solar Credits.
We will send you updates via email or our subscriber newsletters.
Your share is based on your 12-month historical usage in kilowatt hours (kWh) divided by the estimated annual solar energy generated from the project. This determines your “allotted percentage” or share, which is around 0.5% of the farm on average.
Each month, your Solar Credits are calculated by multiplying your allotted percentage share (typically about 0.5% of the farm on average) by the total monthly solar energy generated by your local community solar farm.
The amount of monthly solar credits you receive are dependent upon the total energy generated by a community solar farm, not your energy usage.
To learn more, see ‘How is my portion or share of the local community solar farm calculated?’
As part of your local state government energy savings program, you’ll receive Solar Credits that can be applied to your monthly utility bill to discount the total cost of your monthly utility service.
A Solar Credit is a type of Energy Credit, a renewable energy incentive created by your local state government to encourage residents and businesses to reduce their energy use.
Energy Credits are issued for specific energy-saving measures such as using energy-efficient appliances, purchasing electric vehicles, installing rooftop solar, or subscribing to community solar. They are typically issued in the form of either a tax credit, rebate, or utility credit, such as with community solar.
As a subscriber to a community solar farm, you will receive Solar Credits on your monthly utility statement or Nautilus Solar statement. The Solar Credits you receive will be credited towards your monthly statement in the form of a discount of anywhere from 10%-25%.
Local Utilities
They satisfy their state mandated renewable energy goals and earn Solar Credits by purchasing solar power from energy providers such as Nautilus Community Solar to supply the grid with clean energy.
Community Solar Providers
The local utility “pays” for the solar power it receives by transferring the solar credits to the energy provider, such as Nautilus Community Solar.
Community Solar Subscribers
Nautilus Community Solar passes a portion of the solar credits back to their community solar subscribers at a discount of 10% or more. The difference between the total deducted from their utility company’s bill and the total billed by the owner/operator is the subscriber’s savings.
