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Community solar in 2026: what the DOE data shows and what to ask before subscribing

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DOE data shows community solar in 44 states and localities and about 7.87 GW in operation. Here is what it does and doesn't tell you, plus questions to ask before you subscribe.

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Photo by Daniel Miksha on Unsplash

Short answer: Community solar is available in 44 states and localities (including D.C.), with about 7.87 GW operating as of June 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s tracking of NREL data. Residential subscribers have saved money on a median, capacity-weighted basis, but that is an average and your contract decides your result.

Corrected November 6, 2026: an earlier version of this article cited a 14% subscriber growth rate, a 9% cancellation rate and a 19-state count. We could not trace those figures to a published source, so they have been removed.

What the published data shows

MeasureFigureData dateSource
States and localities with community solar44, including D.C.Mid-2024DOE / NREL
Operating capacityAbout 7.87 GWJune 2024DOE / NREL
Share of capacity in FL, NY, MA and MNOver three quartersMid-2024DOE / NREL
Median capacity-weighted NPV, residential subscriptionsAbout +$0.27 per W-ACThrough mid-2024DOE / NREL
States and localities with community solar legislation24 (20 with low-income provisions)Aug. 2024DOE / NREL

A positive net present value (NPV) means subscribers save compared with not subscribing, according to DOE. The figure is a median across programs, weighted by capacity, so it does not describe any single offer.

What this does and doesn’t tell you

  • Concentrated market. Most capacity is in four states. Availability and rules in your state may look nothing like the national picture.
  • Data is dated. The most recent figures on the DOE page we read run through mid-2024.
  • Subscriber growth and cancellation rates are not published there. We do not have a sourced national churn number, so we do not give one.

Questions to ask before subscribing

These are our checklist, not statistics.

  1. Is the bill discount guaranteed in the contract, or is it an estimate?
  2. What are the cancellation and transfer terms if you move?
  3. How is the credit calculated, and who sets the rate it is based on?
  4. Are there fees, or an auto-renewal term?
  5. Is the project operating, or still under construction?

Check the program rules with your state utility commission or program administrator.

Sources

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