NY needs more solar, so we’re making it easier for people to get access to 100% clean energy that’s focused on benefiting low-income communities. By installing large solar arrays on commercial spaces, residents can get locally-generated solar power and building owners can help build the solar grid while earning free power or cash on their rooftops and parking lots.

How can I get involved? As a building owner, you can host a system to power your space and your neighbors’ homes, as a local resident, you can help us design the program and become a participant. As a job seeker, you can receive free hands-on training to join the solar industry.

Community Solar allows residents to reduce energy costs and their carbon footprint by sharing a solar energy system. With community solar, participants can go solar without installing anything on their own roof and with guaranteed savings!

Anyone who pays an electric utility bill can subscribe to a community solar installation that is located in the city, for example, it could be located on a building rooftop, warehouse, or a parking lot. Some of the energy that is being produced by the solar panels goes to the utility grid where it’s converted to a monetary solar credit and applied to the subscriber’s electric bill. The credit will then be used to reduce the electric utility bill and save the subscriber money each month.

What makes LOCAL POWER special? If you’re not able to have a solar system on your roof, you can still join this program and get local green power – lower cost, lower carbon, plus benefits for the whole community, including jobs.

An ESCO (Energy Service Company) offers variable rates of electricity through green energy sources such as wind, typically located outside of NYC. You directly purchase electricity from them.

Community solar is not an ESCO because it has a discount rate that won’t change, you aren’t purchasing electricity from the provider but receiving a credit applied to your electric utility bill, and you don’t pay for the full value of the credits so you’re guaranteed to save money.

Being a subscriber means:

Guaranteed savings on your future electric bills, subscribers save about $100 a year

You will help lower carbon emissions

Help fight Climate Change

Support local, clean energy

Free to sign up

No cancellation fees

Interested? Join the subscriber list now.

How is New York’s public housing community included in this initiative? We’re providing 100% free workforce training and paid internships to NYCHA and other low-income housing residents. Learn more about the Roof RETI Solar Installation program.

Also, clean energy means better air and water, especially historically-marginalized communities who suffer from higher rates of respiratory diseases and bear the brunt of environmental impacts.

With unprecedented job growth projected in solar, our trainees will be ready to meet the need for solar companies who are struggling to find enough workers for the new demand.

Red Hook Community Info Session: October 19, 2022

Newburgh Host Site Info Session: August 23, 2023

Join us for an upcoming Local Power info session. Go to our event page to find details on upcoming dates.

We would also love to hear directly from you! Reach out to us at info@reticenter.org and share your feedback and ideas and help us build an equitable, resilient, and ecological community.