Solar pilot program for Maryland

Maryland has launched a pilot program that will allow anyone to power their home with solar panels. This includes renters, condo-dwellers or those who live in the shade of trees. Solar developers are looking for hundreds of residents to subscribe to six power projects planned across the state, including recently announced sites in Owings Mills and Westminster. Their offers include discounts off standard electric rates in addition to the multitudinous environmental and other benefits. The developers need a critical mass of customers who are willing to buy the electricity before they can move forward with plans to install solar panels on about 80 acres. Under state rules, the customer base must include low- and moderate-income residents.
Maryland leaders tout the state as a pacesetter in green energy,  offering renewable power projects millions of dollars in subsidies since 2004 that come from residents' electricity bills.

Community solar for residential customers

The idea of the community solar program is to tap into the pool of residential customers who despise fossil fuels but currently have no way to switch to a cleaner alternative. That could significantly expand demand for solar projects, said Gary Skulnik, a longtime Maryland solar entrepreneur.
Skulnik is now CEO of Neighborhood Sun, a company recruiting customers for the six projects.
"You're signing up for a project that won't exist unless we get enough subscribers," Skulnik said. "You're actually getting a new project built."
It could also stimulate simmering conflicts over what kind of land is appropriate for solar development. The General Assembly authorized the community solar pilot program in 2015. But not-in-my-backyard opposition and concerns about the loss of agricultural land have slowed progress.

“Green people” pushing for more wind and solar

A coalition of environmentalists, spiritual leaders and solar and wind energy companies launched a campaign Wednesday calling for fifty percent of Maryland's electricity to come from renewable sources. That would double a policy adopted last year requiring that renewable energy account for 25 percent of the state's energy. Community solar could force more communities to confront those sorts of confrontations and to consider more carefully where solar farms belong.
"We are going to see a lot more solar development in the state," said Megan Billingsley, assistant director of the Valleys Planning Council in Baltimore County. "One of the things we haven't seen is any direction or thoughtful planning on where we want to see solar development." The General Assembly authorized about 200 megawatts in community solar projects -- enough to power about 40,000 households -- over three years.

There has never been a better time to install a solar energy system!

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save.

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