By LAURA LEGERE, PIttsburgh Post-Gazette
The roof on Lisa Lewis’ Waynesburg home is unsuitable for solar panels. It’s too small and doesn’t have enough sun exposure, a consultant told her after scanning a satellite image of her rooftop.
Undeterred, the 68-year-old retired psychologist began advocating for a solution beyond her property lines.
She is pushing for bills with bipartisan support in the Pennsylvania House and Senate that would authorize the development of community solar projects. The small solar installations on farms or other open spaces would be supported by community subscribers who then receive credits on their electricity bills for their share of the power produced by the panels.
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The collective projects would allow renters, low- and moderate-income homeowners and those without large sunny roofs to access the benefits of rooftop solar arrays, including cleaner and cheaper energy than is typically available through the electric grid.
They would also support farmers who would get lease payments for hosting the projects.
The model is already common elsewhere. There are community solar projects in 40 states, and 20 states have laws that specifically authorize them.
A recent study conducted by Penn State researchers for the Coalition for Community Solar Access found that a 3-megawatt community solar facility — the maximum size envisioned by House Bill 531 and Senate Bill 705 is 5 MW — would save its subscribers a combined $90,000 on their electricity bills annually.
For Ms. Lewis, who once explored the possibility of erecting a wind tower with her neighbors when she lived in Kansas, the community aspect of community solar is part of the appeal.
“I want to see living-wage jobs that are good for the environment become available in our area,” she said.
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