How big is my share of the Solar Garden?
How big is my share of the Solar Garden?
Your share in the Solar Garden is based on the average amount of electricity your property consumes in a year. This means that if you use more electricity, you will have a larger subscription, and if you use less electricity, you will have a smaller subscription. Most subscribers are sized between 80-105% of their annual historical energy use, depending on garden availability and program guidelines.
Our team sizes and monitors subscriber allocations to ensure members like you can maximize your participation in your Community Solar Garden. Our team also intentionally sizes your share of a Solar Garden based on your utility's excess bill credit policy, so that you maximize your savings and don't lose out on credits that may expire on an annual basis. See below for information on how your utility treats excess credits.
How does my utility treat excess bill credits?
Illinois ComEd Subscribers
If you are a ComEd electricity customer and have excess Solar Credits over a billing period - or a credit amount that is greater than your total charges with ComEd for the period – the credits will roll over and apply to charges in future months. ComEd members' share of the Solar Garden is initially sized at about 90% of their annual historical energy usage to limit the accumulation of excess credits. Excess credits roll over indefinitely until they are either used up or until the customer leaves ComEd service territory, at which point any excess credit expires.
Your utility does not share any information about changes in your electricity usage habits. If you think your electricity use has increased or decreased substantially, please
share an electric bill with our team here. Illinois Ameren Subscribers
If you are an Ameren electricity customer and have excess Solar Credits over a billing period - or a credit amount that is greater than your total charges with Ameren for the period – the credits will roll over and apply to charges in future months until April. In April, any leftover Community Solar credit expires. Ameren members' share of the Solar Garden is initially sized at about 85% of their annual historical energy usage to limit the accumulation of excess credits and credit expiration. Members who experience excess credits month over month most commonly do so in the summer when there is a high amount of energy production at the Solar Garden. Because solar energy production and Solar Credits are lower in the winter and early spring, it is common for any excess credit from high-producing summer months to be used up before April.
Your utility does not share any information about changes in your electricity usage habits. If you think your electricity use has increased or decreased substantially, please
share an electric bill with our team here. Minnesota Xcel Energy Subscribers
If you are a Minnesota resident in Xcel Energy territory, you don't have to be concerned about losing out on your Solar Credits.
Any excess credit on a single month's electric bill will apply to upcoming electricity charges, reducing your future electric bills. Most people "use up" the excess credit in the winter months when solar energy production - and credit accumulation - is lower. If you still have excess credits in the spring, Xcel Energy will cut you a check between March and May. To learn more about excess bill credits, see this article: I have a negative balance on my Xcel Energy bill. What does that mean?
Your utility reports averaged annual usage information which enables our team to right-size your share of the Solar Garden as capacity becomes available in your Garden.