Frequently asked questions

Community solar with Perch is a clean-energy subscription program that lets you benefit from solar power without installing rooftop panels. Instead, you—and other local residents, businesses, schools, and organizations—subscribe to a nearby community solar project (also known as a solar farm) that’s owned and operated by a third party.

The solar project produces clean electricity that flows into your utility’s electric grid, helping reduce your community’s dependence on fossil fuels and supporting clean energy.

As a community solar customer, you are assigned a share of the solar project based on the amount of energy you use. You earn solar credits based on your share of the energy the farm generates. These credits automatically apply to your utility bill, lowering what you owe each month. Depending on the size of the project, a single solar farm can serve dozens to thousands of subscribers.
Learn more about how community solar works.

Perch's partnership with Nest Renew offers customers a 5% discount on the community solar credits they receive. Community solar is meant to provide savings over time; your exact monthly breakdown of savings will vary due to the seasonality of solar power generation. Savings are dictated in part by your state’s legislation, the project you’re subscribed to, and your own monthly electricity usage.

Joining New York’s community solar program is free. You don’t pay anything because the solar provider pays Perch directly for bringing you to the project. Community solar developers receive state incentives for building solar projects, and in return they offer discounts to subscribers. That’s why you get savings on your bill without any added fees. This keeps participation simple and cost-free for you.

We analyze your historical electricity usage to understand how many credits you’ll need each month from your solar farm. States typically allow for higher electricity users to get a larger “share” of the farm’s energy output, bringing them additional savings, since their bills are higher from the start. But low electricity users can still save! Perch needs to see your historical usage before we can assign you to a solar farm.

Nope! Neither your utility nor electricity supplier will change with community solar.

No. You’ll keep paying your utility the same way you do today. Your community solar credits (and your savings!) will simply appear on your regular electric bill.

Not directly. Instead of your home or business being powered by the solar farm, your subscription helps support the farm’s operations so it can produce clean energy for the overall electric grid. From there, the utility distributes it as needed throughout their service territory.

We don’t. Solar farms are usually owned by companies, firms, special entities, or in some cases the utilities themselves. Other companies hire Perch to help manage the subscriptions so that you receive savings off your bills.

Perch is a clean energy technology and service company helping people save money on their electricity bills. Our industry-leading community solar subscription platform subscribes residents and businesses to local solar farms, allowing them to receive federal- and state-enabled renewable energy incentives even if you can’t install rooftop solar panels. We’re not just a for-profit company, we’re for-purpose—transforming access to clean energy and making it more equitable for all. Learn more about Perch’s values and meet our team!