Solar Landscape:

• Solar Landscape is a New Jersey based community solar developer that’s received several recognitions:
  • 2022 Inclusive Solar Outreach Award from the U.S. Department of Energy
  • Sustainable Jersey 2022 Sustainable Business Leadership Award
  • 2021 New Jersey Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award for Climate Change & Clean Air
  • 2021 and 2022 Top National Community Solar Project in Solar Builder’s 2021 Project of the Year
    • Solar Landscape offers free solar energy job training.

     

    Capacity for any given community solar project is limited and available on a first come first served basis

Contact our representatives from each community solar project listed:

• Gina Viasus, Solar Landscape, gina@solarlandscape.com, 848-217-0207

There are no sign up, cancellation fees, or credit requirements associated with the projects Franklin Township supports. The subscriber only pays for the discounted solar credits allocated to their electric account.

No! That's the beauty of Community Solar: you get all the benefits of clean energy without installing anything at your home. The energy produced by a project is sent to PSE&G and distributed across the energy grid, with the lower cost energy being attributed to the Community Solar subscriber.

Franklin Township is excited to support New Jersey’s Community Solar Program. The Township of Franklin has passed a resolution to provide outreach support to community solar projects that provide the following benefits to the community: 

• At least 51% of the overall solar generation of the project is reserved for low-and moderate-income residents

   

• At discount of at least 20% on the electricity from the community solar project for our residents that qualify as low-to-moderate income

   

• A discount of at least 15% on the electricity from the community solar project for [Municipality] residents that don’t qualify as low-to-moderate income

   

• No fee escalators or cancellation fees

   

• Provide additional benefits to the community through free job training opportunities

You can use the enrollment link listed in the table above to enroll into a project. You will need to provide your utility information (online username/password for your electric account or an account number depending on the project), a form of payment, and basic account information to enroll.

Two Bills: In New Jersey, community solar subscribers receive two bills—one from the community solar developer for their portion of solar energy, and the other from the utility for standard utility charges and any electricity they’ve consumed in excess of their portion of the solar project’s production.

As a subscriber you save money by receiving solar bill credits to offset your payment to the utility and then you pay the community solar developer for those credits at a discount (i.e. in projects where you have a 25% discount, for every $1.00 solar credit applied to your bill, you only pay the developer $0.75)

1. A community solar project delivers energy from the panels located remotely in the community, like on a commercial rooftop, landfill, or parking lot canopy, to the local power grid.
2. Your household can subscribe to a project within your utility area for the amount of electricity your home uses.
3. You will receive a credit on your bill to reflect discounted solar energy from the array’s generated energy

Energy aggregation and community solar are completely different and unrelated. You can participate in community solar and the Township’s energy aggregation program at the same time by following the procedures with the community solar companies to sign up.

NO.

According to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, Energy Aggregation “allows municipalities, working along or together in a group, to aggregate the energy requirements of residential, commercial, and municipal accounts so that the energy can be purchased from third-party suppliers at prices lower than average utility prices, with the possibility of added benefits such as higher renewable energy content”. Customers currently receive energy at a fixed rate from their default energy supplies (i.e., PSE&G). Through an Energy Aggregation Program, municipalities create larger buying groups and can obtain a cheaper rate for customers. These savings are passed down to residents and commercial businesses, saving approximately 12% on monthly energy bills.

A question is on the November 8, 2022 ballot to seek permission to create a Government Energy Aggregation Program. If approved, Franklin will formally pass an ordinance to establish the program and begin seeking bids from third-party suppliers to find the best prices for energy available. There is no cost to the customer, and there is an option to “opt-out” if an individual does not wish to participate.

For more information about Energy Aggregation, please visit the following sites for information:
How Does Energy Aggregation Work?: http://njgea.com/how-does-government-aggregation-work

Program Summary: https://www.state.nj.us/bpu/pdf/energy/NJ_Gov_Energy_Aggregation_Summary.pdf

Government Energy Aggregation: https://nj.gov/njpowerswitch/gea/#:~:text=A%20GEA%20program%20allows%20municipalities,lower%20than%20the%20average%20utility

Even if you participate in a Community Solar project, PSE&G will still provide electric delivery service, and will still be responsible for service reliability and restoration. If the lights go out, you should call PSE&G.

No problem, contact your community solar project if you’d like to consider moving your community solar subscription to a new location. You can also leave the project at any time, with no penalties or fees.

Community Solar is a New Jersey Clean Energy Program overseen by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. The program’s goals are to reduce the traditional barriers to renewable energy access and lower energy costs for any New Jersey resident including renters and homeowners. 

A Community Solar project is a solar array whose energy generation is divided among multiple participating subscribers. Community solar subscribers sign up to power their home from electricity delivered through the utility and generated by a solar installation that is located near, but not on, the subscriber’s own property. As a subscriber, you will receive a dollar credit on your utility bill for the portion of power generated by the array on your behalf. Subscribers pay for the solar energy at a discounted cost (refer to the projects and their discount levels). Community solar projects must be approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. 

As part of this state program, each project must reserve at least 51% of its project capacity to Low to moderate income households (LMI). This rule ensures a just clean energy transition for all communities giving LMI communities time and space to participate in a project. 

LMI refers to households with a combined income that qualifies as low-to-moderate; Residents of affordable housing who pay their own energy bill including recipients of Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program; OR Recipients of government assistance programs such as SNAP, LIHEAP, USF, LIFELINE, etc. 

The chart below will help give you an impression to see if you qualify as an LMI subscriber: 

LMI Data Source HUD Income Limits Documentation Center

The benefits of subscribing to a Community Solar project are two-fold: you’ll save money and will be supporting New Jersey’s transition to cleaner energy.

This is an ideal opportunity for renters, homeowners with shaded roofs, people who live in high rises, or anyone else that is unable to install their own solar array to participate and benefit from the generation of renewable energy. If you pay an energy bill and live in a community solar powered community like Franklin Township, you can enroll.