Utilities and Energy Usage
Q: Does Community Solar Lessen My Carbon Footprint?
A: Yes. By choosing to support a local community solar program you are contributing to reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and creating fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Q: What Happens to the Land You Build Solar Gardens On?
A: One of our pledges as a company is to leave the land better than we found it. For example, in Minnesota, we are part of Fresh Energy’s “Pollinator Pledge.” This means, when possible, we design our gardens to serve as a habitat for bees and butterflies that pollinate local farms. We also try to build on brownfield sites, which include land with limited use such as old landfills or chemical spill sites.
Q: How Many Solar Gardens are Operational Now?
A:We have 30 fully subscribed and operational solar gardens in Colorado and Minnesota and will continue to build new solar gardens in Colorado and Minnesota in the future.
A subscription now means you will reserve a spot in one of our new solar gardens and begin seeing credits on your bill as soon as the gardens are built and active.
Q: How Does Billing Work?A:
A: In order to subscribe to a SunShare Community Solar Garden, you must be an Xcel Energy customer, live in the same county as, or adjacent to, the garden, and have a credit score of at least 680.
Q: What if I Rent?
A: The beauty of community solar is that EVERYONE, who pays an electric bill, can benefit from solar electricity – regardless of homeownership or roof quality.
Q: How Do I Subscribe?
A: If you are interested but need more information, contact one of our team members by email at info@mysunshare.com or by dialing 800.793.0786. If you are ready to subscribe now, simply fill out the short form on to receive the subscription documents.
Q: What Happens After I Submit My Subscription Documents?
A:
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SunShare will do a credit check to ensure your credit score is above 680. This will take about 2 – 4 weeks complete.
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Simultaneously, SunShare will reach out to Xcel Energy for your usage information in order to accurately calculate your subscription. This will take about 3-5 weeks to complete.
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Once SunShare has calculated your subscription, and your credit has been approved, you will officially become a SunShare subscriber, and you will be put on a wait list for a to-be-constructed solar garden. Subscribers are placed into solar gardens on a first-come-first-served basis.
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Once you have been assigned to a to-be-built solar garden, there is typically a 6 – 12 month construction time frame. While your solar garden is being built, SunShare will provide helpful information regarding your SunShare subscription, including important information about billing, how to set up automatic payments, and the expected date for when your garden will become live.
A: In order to subscribe to a SunShare Community Solar Garden, you must be an Xcel Energy customer, live in the same county as, or adjacent to, the garden, and have a credit score of at least 680.
Q: What if I Rent?
A: The beauty of community solar is that EVERYONE, who pays an electric bill, can benefit from solar electricity – regardless of homeownership or roof quality.
A: In order to subscribe to a SunShare Community Solar Garden, you must be an Xcel Energy customer, live in the same county as, or adjacent to, the garden, and have a credit score of at least 680.
Q: What if I Rent?
A: The beauty of community solar is that EVERYONE, who pays an electric bill, can benefit from solar electricity – regardless of homeownership or roof quality.
Utilities and Energy Usage
After Subscribing to SunShare, Will I Still be a Customer of my Current Utility?
Yes. Your utility still delivers power to your home and provides any energy you consume. The electricity generated by your SunShare community solar garden simply supplements the utility company’s energy to help reduce its need for fossil fuels.
Is SunShare a Partner of Utility?
SunShare works under Utility’s community solar program, but it is not considered a partner. SunShare is a privately held, family-owned company.
What if I Plan to Add an Addition to My Home or Get an Electric Vehicle?
We can adjust your subscription size at any time based on changes in your electricity usage. We recommend oversizing your subscription if you know of future usage increases. You can do this during the subscription process or by reaching out to our friendly Customer Care team at customercare@mysunshare.com or 800.793.0786
What if My Solar Garden Under Produces or Stops Producing Energy for Any Reason?
Your utility will continue to deliver your electricity, and you will only pay SunShare for the amount of energy the community solar garden produces within your subscription. If the solar panels do not produce electricity for any reason, such as a natural disaster, massive snow storm, or equipment malfunction, you will not receive bill credits on your utility bill or be charged by SunShare for that period of time. If the community solar garden’s production decreases for any reason, you will simply receive fewer energy credits from your utility provider and receive a smaller bill from SunShare.. If the garden stops producing altogether, you will not receive a bill from SunShare or see solar credits on your electricity bill until the solar garden is back up and running. Regardless of the performance of the community solar garden, the electricity service at your home will not be impacted.
What Happens if a Storm Takes Out the Power?
Disturbances like a storm can affect your utility provider’s grid and the delivery of electricity to your home. And, because our solar energy is distributed onto your utility provider’s grid, the chances of your power going out are just as likely as they were before subscribing.