FAQs

Austin Energy’s Community Solar program provides access to locally-generated solar energy to our residential customers. Community Solar extends access to customers who haven't traditionally been able to install solar at their own home.

Austin Energy’s popular Community Solar program is at capacity and not currently accepting new subscribers. You may request to be added to the waiting list at this time. Community Solar is a great way for residential customers to promote clean, local renewable energy.

This option appeals to renters as well as homeowners who:

• have shaded roofs,
• don’t want to pay the upfront cost of solar,
• don’t want to install and maintain a rooftop solar system,
• don’t intend to own the residence for the lifetime of a rooftop solar system.

Under the Austin Energy Community Solar program, participants subscribe to meet 100% of their electricity needs with Community Solar generated by local solar systems and pay a Community Solar rate on their bill.

When you subscribe to Community Solar, Austin Energy procures energy to meet your needs from solar systems located within the Austin community. This solar energy enters Austin’s electric system daily and reduces the amount of energy needed from fossil-fuel-based power plants. 

While the program is fully subscribed at this time, interested customers can join the waiting list until additional local solar capacity is added to the program. Austin Energy will add new capacity as the demand for local community solar energy increases.

Austin Energy's Community Solar program currently has two project sites:

• The Palmer Array (185 kW), located atop the Palmer Events Center on Barton Springs Road, between South First and Lamar Boulevard
• La Loma community solar farm (2.6 MW), located northeast of Springdale Road and Airport Boulevard
• Austin Bergstrom International Airport (1.8 MW) located on the roof of the Blue Parking Garage

Austin Energy will procure enough local solar to meet all of the electric use of Community Solar subscribers. Electricity generated at our Community Solar sites is not directed to a specific home. 

Instead, Community Solar energy is generated locally and connected to the grid. It directly reduces the amount of fossil-fuel-based energy that Austin Energy needs to buy from the ERCOT market to serve our customers. 

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any time with no penalty; but, you must wait 12 months before you can re-subscribe. If Community Solar capacity is not available when you re-subscribe, you will be placed on a waitlist. Subscriptions are not transferable from customer to customer.

Yes. Your Community Solar subscription can go where you go anywhere within the Austin Energy service territory. When transferring your account to a new address, simply ask to retain your subscription to Community Solar.

No. You must choose between either Community Solar or GreenChoice. Community Solar program participants receive 100% local solar power, and GreenChoice participants receive 100% Texas wind power.