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Friendly City Solar Program

If you’re interested in powering your home with renewable energy, HEC’s Friendly City Solar program could be a good fit for you. Participating in this community solar partnership means you can feel good about supporting renewable energy without having the high upfront costs or ongoing maintenance of installing solar panels on your home.

See how much solar energy we've generated so far on our live dashboard.

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Overview
Sign Up
FAQs
Example Costs
Changes to Your Bill
Live Impact Report

Overview

  • Option 1 - Residential customers can purchase renewable energy in 50 kWh blocks, up to 50% of their average monthly usage.
    • The cost of each 50 kWh block is $5.75, which is only $1.25 more* than the current cost for 50 kWh of traditional grid electricity through HEC.
    • Customers who subscribe to be 50% renewable will pay on average an additional $150/year (based on an average usage of 1,000 kWh/month).
    • *Note: fuel charges are not applied to solar energy blocks, so the net cost will be lower than published.
  • Option 2 - Residential customers can choose to have 100% of their monthly usage covered at a rate of $0.115 per kWh, only $0.025/kWh more than the current cost of traditional grid electricity.
    • Customers who subscribe to be 100% renewable will pay on average an additional $300/year* (based on an average usage of 1,000 kWh/month).
    • *Note: this amount does not take into account fuel charges, which are not applied to solar energy, so your net cost will be lower than published.
  • Pricing will be fixed for the customer for 25 years. You can view example costs here.
  • Fuel charges are not applied to the block of solar energy on the customer’s bill, but consumption taxes are applied to all energy consumed.
    • Ex. If your monthly usage is 1000 kWh and you subscribe to 5 solar energy blocks, you will only be charged for fuel on 750 kWh of electricity
    • You can view how this will look on your bill here.
  • The minimum contract term is one year and will automatically renew unless the customer requests a change.
  • Upon the customer’s request, subscriptions to the solar program can transfer to a new address if they move within HEC’s service area.
  • Customers will be charged for the subscribed amount regardless of Metered Usage.
  • At this time, only residential customers in good standing may participate. Existing net-metered customers do not qualify.

FAQs

How much does the program cost?

Each 50 kWh block costs $5.75, which is only $1.25 more than the current cost of 50 kWh of electricity. Fuel is not charged on solar energy, so the current net cost is less than 1 cent. Customers who choose our 100% option will pay $0.115 per kWh, which is only $0.025/kWh more than electricity.

How much of my electricity can I purchase from the Friendly City Solar Program?

Customers can purchase enough solar energy blocks to cover up to 50% of their average monthly usage. You can view an example of these amounts below. Alternatively, customers can cover 100% of their home's power for one set rate.

How long is the rate good for?

The current rate for solar is fixed for 25 years.

Why does it cost more?

Solar energy costs more to produce than traditional grid energy.

What will my new bill look like?

You can view a sample bill below.

What are the benefits?

By subscribing to solar energy, you can stay ahead of fluctuating electric costs with fixed rates for 25 years, meaning even if the price of electricity rises, you won't pay more for your solar portion. You will also benefit from reducing your carbon footprint and supporting green energy initiatives in Harrisonburg.

What happens if I use less energy in certain months? Will my solar energy amount also be reduced or carried over to other months?

You will be charged for the subscribed amount regardless of Metered Usage.

Will I need to install solar panels on my roof?

No, there is no home maintenance required.

What if I have more questions?

Please email solarinfo@hbgelec.com.

Example Costs - Option 1 (Blocks Up To 50%)

If your average monthly usage is... You can subscribe to the maximum amount of energy blocks below* Which would make your additional monthly cost...*
400 kWh/month 4 $5.00
600 kWh/month 6 $7.50
800 kWh/month 8 $10.00
1000 kWh/month 10 $12.50

*Energy blocks and additional monthly cost based on an enrollment amount equivalent of 50% of monthly usage

Example Costs - Option 2 (100% Enrollment)

If your monthly usage is... Your additional monthly cost would be...
400 kWh/month $10.00
600 kWh/month $15.00
800 kWh/month $20.00
1000 kWh/month $25.00

Changes to Your Bill

Once you've enrolled in the Friendly City Solar program, you'll notice changes on your HEC utility bill as noted below. Keep in mind, enrollment can take up to 30 days to take effect, so it may take an additional billing cycle before you see these updates reflected.

Solar Bill Example - Usage
TYPE SERVICE CURRENT USAGE    
KWH 1983 ← The total amount of kWh used (Metered Usage)
FCSOLAR 300 ← Amount subscribed from the Acorn Solar Farm
Solar Bill Example - Costs
   
ENERGY (KWH) $138.53 ← The cost for the Metered kWh Usage minus the subscribed Solar kWh.
FRIENDLY CITY SOLAR $34.50 ← The cost for the subscribed amount of energy under the Friendly City Solar program (50 kWh = $5.75).
FUEL COST ADJUSTMENT $24.22 ← The Fuel Cost Adjustment based on the Metered kWh Usage minus the subscribed Solar kWh.

Taxes are based on total kWh used.

Sign Up Today!

Support renewable energy and help us build a greener Harrisonburg.

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Live Impact Report

Check out our dashboard featuring live production information and the environmental impact we've made so far.

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