Full Title: Community Solar Policy Decision Matrix. Guidance for Designing Community Solar Programs
Author(s): Coalition for Community Solar Access
Publisher(s):
Publication Date: November 1, 2016
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Solar energy continues to grow in popularity across the nation, with individuals, businesses, governments, schools, and other organizations demanding more choice, cleaner energy options, and greater control over their energy bills. Although more than one million solar energy systems have been installed in the U.S.,1 not everyone has access to the many benefits of solar energy or the ability to install their own system onsite. For example, a property owner may have unsuitable roof space, an old roof needing replacement in the near future, or too much shading, and millions of tenants or renters lack the permission to install a solar system at their home or business.
Based on the experiences of CCSA’s members, we have created this policy decision matrix to aid policymakers in designing community solar programs. This matrix is intended to lead policymakers through important questions, grouped into five categories, which should be addressed when designing programs. To answer these questions, we provide a menu of options, focusing on those that will spur market development while providing choices to customize programs to meet a state’s needs and goals. The decision matrix provides CCSA’s recommendations for what works best, based on our experiences working in different states. It also provides our rationale for these recommendations, example language to aid in drafting policies and other important issues to consider.