New Jersey Solar Farms

Access Solar Power without owning Panels!

Save Money with Solar Energy!

A Guide to Community Solar in New Jersey

As any New Jersian knows, there’s plenty to be proud of when it comes to our state — and we’re not afraid to tell everyone about it!

Whether you like to boast about the pristine sandy shores or how the pizza and bagels are far superior to New York’s, there’s something you probably don’t know about the Garden State that’s worthy of a few brags.

Despite its small size, New Jersey ranks 8th in the country when it comes to solar power production!

As of 2022, there’s enough solar energy production in New Jersey to power more than 638,775 homes, with plans to add another 1,963 megawatts of solar production over the next five years. There’s not much that can stop New Jersey once it puts its mind to something. 

If you’re ready to take advantage of the solar power trend, you’re in luck! Solar power is accessible to more people than ever before, no matter if you’re from North or South Jersey.

Mother and Daughter on Grass


Go Solar without owning panels!

Residential solar power in New Jersey has been limited by multiple hurdles that homes face around the country.

“If you own a home — and it has a roof that is the right size, type, orientation, exposure, etc. — then you can buy, finance, or lease panels that are bolted to your roof to generate energy.”

This makes solar energy out of reach for most people.

In fact, traditional solar power is accessible to only about 20% of New Jerseyans. But what about everyone else!?


Benefits of Community Solar in NJ

Community Solar is like a membership to a local solar farm where you can get clean energy at 10-25% off!

No Panels

You don’t have to purchase, finance, or lease a solar system or attach anything to your home! There is no maintenance or installation. Just easy access to clean energy at a discount!

No Roof

You don’t have to worry about your roof size, age, style, or shading.

No Limit

You don’t have to own your home or apartment. Renters can access solar!

No Problem!

You don’t have to commit to decades of paying off panels. Bring it if you move!

How Does Community Solar Work?

Pay nothing, save money, help the environment AND a local business? Really??

You know installing solar panels on your home can be pricey, but what if you could divide the cost of installing, maintaining, and operating solar panels between a bunch of people in your area? That’s the idea behind community solar!

With community solar, the cost of operating a solar farm is divided between subscribers in an area (typically a region serviced by a utility provider). Here’s a basic idea of how the community solar process in New Jersey works:

  • A solar farm is built in a suitable location.
  • Residents in the area pay to support the operation and maintenance of the solar farm, typically with a monthly subscription.
  • As the solar farm generates power, it sends the energy back into the grid, helping subscribers reduce their energy bills.

The best part of community solar is that you don’t have to live on a property that’s considered “solar ready.” You can live in a house, an apartment, a condo, or even a cave as long as it’s connected to the energy grid! 

Since the solar farm is built off-site in a suitable location and pumps the energy back into the grid, you can benefit from clean, renewable solar energy no matter where you live or what your house looks like.

Not only does community solar bring solar energy to more New Jersey residents, but it also helps them save tons of money on installation costs.

When the expense of installing and maintaining solar panels is split between hundreds, if not thousands, of other people in your area, you only have to pay a small portion, which is much more manageable than the tens of thousands of dollars an individual installation might cost.

Support your Local Solar Farmers

Why buy dirty energy, often from the other side of the world, when we can capture clean energy — from farmers in New Jersey right outside town?

Community Solar Farms in New Jersey allow family farmers to lease some of their land for utilities and partners to set up small solar farms.

This supplements farm income and keeps energy local!

Find a Solar Farm Near Me

Get Your Energy from a Solar Farm!

Community Solar allows a group of people to “subscribe” to a solar farm.

The solar farm feeds clean energy into the electricity grid, which you get to buy at a locked in savings rate every month!

Contact Us
Register for Solar Power!

Sign up for New Jersey Community Solar!

1

Get Started

Register your interest in saving money on electricity by joining a local solar farm in New Jersey.

Register Your Interest!
2

Get Matched

If solar farms are open in your area, we’ll match you to see. Or select a project yourself here!

Join a Solar Farm
3

Start Saving!

Within 1-3 months your solar farm goes active, and you receive a new lower energy bill!

Save 10-25% on Energy
Sign up to a Solar Farm!

Solar Power to the People

Community solar in New Jersey is gaining popularity because of its affordability and accessibility.

Without the need to purchase and install panels on your roof, community solar is a much more affordable option that can benefit so many more people!

This includes renters, row homes, apartments, and rooftops that are not a good fit for solar panels.

— Sign up Now

New Jersey Community Solar Reviews

I cannot tell you how pleased I am
I am very proud that we get most of the electricity to run our house via solar energy. I would definitely recommend your solar company (and I have) because the transition to solar in this way has been very easy and seamless. 10 out of 10!
John H.
NY Solar Farm Subscriber
Perfect for what I needed!
I live in a townhouse where I was restricted to use solar panels. I am glad you have given me the opportunity to buy into solar energy!
Jennifer H.
ME Solar Farm Subscriber
Extremely easy to work with
Extremely easy to work with and to set up and I love being able to use solar to produce energy while also getting credits to save money!
Lauren C.
MD Solar Farm Subscriber
Highly recommended!
I am very satisfied with the entire process to this point. I’ve recommended solar farms to anyone interested.
Elizabeth R.
MD Solar Farm Subscriber
Saving money and helping the planet!
Solar is absolutely the way to go…I signed up with you when I bought this house, about 8 years ago, and have not had one bit of regret.
Penny M.
MD Solar Farm Subscriber

Frequently
Asked
Questions

Pay nothing, save money on your bills, help the environment, and help a local business?? Seems too good to be true!

Contact Us

Switching to Community Solar is easy!

Register here with your email and we’ll show you which solar farms you’re eligible for, and how much you can save.

Your relationship with your utility company won’t change at all!

Only the electrons that power your house. You’ll still receive energy the same way — it will just be cleaner and cheaper!

Start here to see if Community Solar works for you!

Solar panel installation is expensive, so it makes sense that you’d want to know if it’s worth it before putting down that large chunk of change. Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer. It all depends on three factors:

  • Your property
  • Your budget
  • Your goals

First, your property has to be suitable. For a property to be considered “solar ready,” it has to adhere to these conditions:

  • Enough roof space for the panels. The more energy you want or need to produce, the more space you’ll need.
  • Roof pitch between 30 and 45 degrees to capture the most sunlight.
  • A south-facing roof for maximum solar efficiency.

If your home is surrounded by trees, you’ll also struggle to maximize your solar production. As surprising as it might sound, shade isn’t a solar panel’s best friend.

Because solar panels are an expensive investment, it’s also best for you to own your home. You don’t want to put down that much money only to move and give the energy savings to the next person in line or your landlord. 

Your goals also play a major role in determining whether installing solar panels on your New Jersey home is worth it. If you want to go completely off-grid and quit the utility company cold turkey (or even get a few dollars back every month with net metering), then solar panels are definitely worth it. They’re really the only way to produce enough energy to cut your utility dependency completely.

However, if you’re okay with just cutting a few dollars off your energy bill every month, there are other options that aren’t quite as expensive upfront, like community solar. You might not get completely off the grid, but it’ll reduce your utility bills and help you avoid the hefty installation costs.

So, are solar panels in New Jersey worth it? That’s entirely up to you, your property, your budget, and your goals. Consider the pros and cons to determine if it’s right for your unique situation.

The average cost of solar panel installation in New Jersey is around $2.74 per watt. Considering most residential solar panel installations are around five kilowatts (kW), the average cost of solar panel installation after parts and labor lands somewhere between $11,645 and $15,755. Where you fall on that spectrum largely depends on where in New Jersey you’re located and the equipment you choose.

While you’re probably still reeling from sticker shock, just remember that this number (albeit scary high) is an investment, not a cost. You also have to keep in mind how much they’ll save you on energy bills in the future. 

Without energy bills — or at least lower energy bills — most New Jersey residents earn back all the money they put into solar panel installation within 6.62 years. In 20 years, they can earn back a whopping $40,577! Now that sounds a little better, doesn’t it!?

Solar panels are expensive to install, but they’re also a great way to generate clean renewable energy. To make solar energy more accessible for people living in New Jersey, the state and federal government have created several solar incentives to make solar installation more affordable. 

If you do make the investment and install solar panels on your New Jersey home, you can enjoy these benefits:

  • Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) – Get a tax credit that’s equal to 26% of your solar system if installed before December 31, 2022. After that, the credit drops to 23% in 2023.
  • Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) – Get paid for each kilowatt-hour your system produces and sends back into the energy grid. Price varies by market value.
  • Solar Investment Property Tax Exemption – Solar panels increase your property value, but you’ll be exempt from any additional property tax because of the increase in value.
  • Solar Panel System Sales Tax Exemption – You don’t have to pay state sales tax on any parts or labor that go into installing a solar system on your home.

Unfortunately, these solar incentives aren’t available to every New Jersey resident. For example, you have to own the solar system to reap the rewards. If you choose a rent-to-own option for solar installation, you technically don’t own the system and, therefore, wouldn’t qualify for the incentives. 

Before you make your choice about which solar option is right for you, be sure to do your research to see which incentives apply to your situation. It’s always a good idea to know what you’re getting into before spending that much money!

Overcome the Limits and Access Community Solar in NJ!

Sign up to a Solar Farm!