Deconstructing Community Solar in WA for Broader Adoption

Broadening Adoption of Community Solar in Washington

A panel of experts at the Solar Washington Summit in October discussed how community scale projects make solar more accessible and bring value to the distribution grid. They also discussed building awareness for adoption for utilities and how to overcome barriers with local resources.  

Panelist Ruby Moore-Bloom is a research analyst at the Clean Energy Transition Institute (CETI), a non-partisan research and analysis organization based in Seattle with a mission to accelerate an equitable clean energy transition in the Northwest. Chelsea Edgecombe is a program coordinator at the Washington State University (WSU) energy program, where she helps administer the community solar expansion program. Jessica Carmona is a senior program manager for the renewables team at the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF). The panel was moderated by Solar Washington board member Nora Hawkins. 

Research on Community Solar 

Ruby shared details about a project with researchers from the University of Washington for exploring community scale solar through a series of interviews and literature reviews.

While there is not a standard definition of community scale solar, they found that the purpose is to serve local community members. It aims to provide equitable access to solar energy, often for renters or people living in homes that do not have suitable rooftops for solar. There are also buildings where the owner owns and operates the system, third-party owner-operated systems, and utility-owned projects. 

“When we think about Washington's clean energy future, clean electricity is a critical pillar. In this state, we have CETA, the Clean Energy Transformation Act, which puts us on a path to 100% clean electricity by 2045, as well as economy-wide emissions reduction goals.” There are also trends such as the increasing use of electricity in homes and transportation, and significant new loads from data centers that contribute to increased demand for clean electricity. 

For this project, they looked at benefits associated with mid-sized distributed solar or community scale solar. Some benefits are economic, such as lower energy bills, the potential to create local jobs, or revenue from leases or tax revenue. Others are related to energy resilience. Some people mentioned that community scale solar could play a much greater role if storage were included, which would also allow it to support grid reliability and potentially defer the need for transmission upgrades. There are also health and safety benefits as well as potential improvements to air quality. Community scale solar is seen as playing a critical role in a resilient and equitable energy transition in Washington. 

One theme they saw is that there are distinct considerations for rural communities and underserved communities, who tend to be located at the ends of distribution lines and therefore experience more frequent outages. 

The energy burden is much higher among low-income households. Participation in community solar programs can lower bills for these energy-burdened households. A University of Washington study, for example, reports that savings could be 10-15% on electricity bills.

Other themes include energy resilience, microgrids, and resilience hubs as key strategies for community solar. Community solar with storage could help provide backup power for critical service providers. 

There are also challenges, such as policy barriers, financing, permitting, interconnection hurdles, siting constraints and potential community opposition. There is also a perception that Washington does not have high-quality solar resources. 

Ways that projects can maximize benefits include community engagement, tailoring energy resilience to the local context, allowing for future upgrades, prioritizing the built environment to reduce land use conflicts, designing resilience hubs where people are already congregating naturally, and supporting access to third party financing or applications for grants and incentives. 

The Oregon Ecosystem

Jessica shared the background of her organization’s work, noting also that “We are based out of Portland, Oregon. We know a lot about the Oregon community solar program. We'll talk a little bit about our experience with Washington as well.”

BEF works with low-income communities, tribal communities and communities of color throughout the Pacific Northwest. They have supported over 40 community-scale solar projects. Half are in Washington, with different utilities. They've developed over 18,000 kilowatts of solar that are mainly benefiting low-income communities and that generate over $22 million in lifetime savings for more than 4000 households. “Solar is a type of energy assistance.” They've secured over $200 million in funding and were also recipients of Solar for All funds for Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. 

She said the Oregon Community Solar Program, ORCSP, was established by the Oregon legislature in 2016. Oregon was going towards a 50% clean energy bill, so it was part of that initiative. “Having a program that the state mandated and that has a framework that's trustworthy is really important”. 

There are three main nonprofits that work within it: Energy Solutions, Energy Trust of Oregon and Community Energy Project. There is low-income verification, and Oregon allows for self-attestation, which is important because it enables beneficiaries to access it more easily. 

The initial program capacity was in two tiers, with a total of 160 megawatts. Projects up to 360 kilowatts can be eligible for a carve out. All of the projects carveout or general market are required to have at least 10% low-income subscribers. Their projects have at least 50% low-income subscribers.

Whereas subscribers will often see about a 10-15% reduction in their energy bills, BEF’s projects give them 30%- 40% reductions.  

She said 19 states have programs, and they all work differently. In Oregon, the developer creates a project. It's pre-certified, and then the energy flows to the grid. There's a bill credit rate structure and a subscription fee, which is a revenue generator for developers. Once people subscribe, everything goes through their bill, including virtual net metering. 

She also shared a case study for a project that went online in September. The solar installers working on the project are part of Leaders Become Legends. Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans get to be leaders in the industry. “The project isn't just about providing energy and a discount on a monthly bill. People know where their power is coming from. They're choosing solar energy.” She said the Port of Portland is the site host. They also partnered with Verde, a community-based organization which works in a neighborhood which has one of the highest rates of low-income people. Verde received funds from the Portland clean energy community benefits Fund, and they're also receiving a capacity building process with BEF.  

BEF does other types of projects as well. One is with the Metro Irrigation District, the first of Oregon's first floating solar projects. It's an 800 kilowatt at project. They're generating heat energy, improving water quality on the reservoir and reducing water loss from evaporation. It has solar and clean energy, serves a community, and provides benefits for farmers. The District will receive the revenue from the subscriptions, so they'll have a source of income that they will invest in innovation or processes. 

The program doesn't come without challenges, she said. Interconnection is complicated. The other part is the program capacity. The bill credit rates are low in comparison with other parts of the country, and that makes it hard for projects to pencil out financially.  

BEF also supports community-based organizations, which sometimes don't have the technical expertise to build up capacity, and includes them in grant writing.

A project in Washington is also ongoing. For this project, they assessed three sites. One that's advancing is in the lower Columbia, with a 72-kilowatt array. Through the partnership, the residents of the buildings there will receive field credits in partnership with the utility. 

Community Solar in Washington

Chelsea said the community solar expansion program is a Washington State program administered by the WSU Energy Program. It’s a solar incentive program that aims to expand access to the benefits of renewable energy for Washington's low-income community members. They've had over 300,000 beneficiaries, about $20 million in funding and over 80 projects. They have certified and pre-certified over 10.4 megawatts of solar and about 1.38 megawatt hours of battery storage capacity. 

Four administrator types qualify for this program. Most entities that applied are nonprofits, accounting for about $17 million of funding, 8.55 megawatts of solar PV and a megawatt hour of battery storage. There are also utilities, local housing authorities and tribal housing authorities. 

Overall, there is $100 million in funding, with $25 million available per biennium. Funding is expected to reach the $25 million biennium cap for this fiscal year. This program incentivizes installation costs associated with a solar array.

One example could be an array installed on a multi-family housing building that has a mandate for 60% of the residents to be low-income. Benefits must flow, in at least some portion, to low-income subscribers or service providers.  

At pre-certification, applicants have two years to apply for project completion. They can submit pre-certifications any time until June 30, 2033, and the final certification date is June 30, 2035. The project must be with a utility that is participating in the program. Project sizes need to be between 12 kilowatts DC to 199 kilowatts DC

Their funding became obligated very quickly. They also experienced a huge unanticipated administrative budget shortfall this fiscal year, as the budget has been reduced by over 80%. As a solution, they decided to implement a $5,000 application fee.

An example of a community solar expansion project is a mutual life company project in Eatonville. It's a utility project for 106 kilowatts of solar and a 307.2-kilowatt hour battery storage project. They completed initial installation in June 2025, and it is planned to be more fully installed this fiscal year, with 100% of the kilowatt hour value and 75% of the peak demand savings directed towards weatherization energy efficiency projects for low-income homes.  

Another is in the Harrington School District. This project is administered by Partners for Rural Washington with support from Zero Emissions Northwest. It is the first to receive certification. It's 130-kilowatt solar array. The projected benefits include directing the equivalent cost savings of the generation to school summer STEM programs for low-income students. Secondary uses include after-school courses for services, backpacks or school supplies for low-income students.  

Another case study is a South Everett solar project that's administered by Snohomish PUD. It's 199-kilowatt DC. They direct solar generation benefits to the community energy relief fund. 

Community solar clearly has potential, in Washington as well as other states. It’s important to note, too, that the benefits go beyond energy to include community resilience and support for low-income households.

Summary by Whitworth University Communications Student Hannah

The summit addressed the definition, benefits, and challenges of community-scale solar, explaining its role in Washington’s clean energy future. Speakers highlighted that community solar benefits local members, connects to the distribution grid, and provides equitable access to solar energy, especially for renters and those with unsuitable rooftops. The discussion covered economic advantages, like lower energy bills and job creation, energy, resilience, through storage, and contributions to greenhouse gas reduction. However, challenges, such as policy barriers, financing, permitting, interconnection, hurdles, and community opposition were also noted. Oregon’s Community Solar Program was presented as a case study, showcasing its structure, incentives for low-income communities, and partnerships with organizations like BEF Renewables. The program faces challenges like limited capacity and low bill credit rates, but offers valuable lessons for Washington.The Washington State University (WSU) Energy Program’s Community Solar Expansion Program was also discussed, noting its funding milestones and project examples. The program incentivized solar array installation costs based on the benefits flowing to low-income communities. A major announcement was made, revealing that the funding for this fiscal year has been obligated, so projects can still apply, but may not receive funding until the next fiscal year. Panelists discussed terminology and community engagement, emphasizing the importance of tailoring projects to local contexts and understanding community needs. They also explored the role of community solar in meeting clean energy goals and addressing grid constraints, underscoring the need for diverse energy resources and innovative approaches.