Why Community Solar Is Key to the Clean Energy Transition

The Youth and Environmental Advocacy Center, in collaboration with NXT Grid, built a solar-powered mini-grid in a rural area to connect community members with power, some of whom were being connected for the first time. Community members donated to help fund the project, resulting in 200 of the 262 structures in the area receiving electricity.

The Nez Perce Tribe is installing solar panels on homes and community buildings across their reservation with the goal of producing enough energy to replace the hydroelectric dams on the Snake River responsible for the diminishing salmon and steelhead populations.

In the Indian state of Bihar, women-led self-help groups are challenging traditional gender norms and saving money to buy and install solar irrigation pumps. The pumps increase the local agricultural capacity by providing a cleaner, more affordable alternative to the diesel pumps typically used to combat water scarcity in the region.

As part of their commitment to “creation care,” some churches in Pennsylvania are installing solar panels in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. At Akron Mennonite Church, solar power is saving the congregation nearly $1,000 a month and helping to prevent unnecessary emissions of carbon dioxide.

The environmental nonprofit Casa Pueblo is installing solar panels and retrofitting buildings’ electrical systems to be off-grid in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. Its work is helping to combat the blackouts and skyrocketing electricity prices that Puerto Ricans have faced since Hurricane Maria first damaged the grid in 2017.

In 2020, Nigeria's Rural Electrification Agency installed a 50-kilowatt solar-hybrid system at Gombe State Specialist Hospital, providing uninterrupted electricity to critical units, including the ICU and emergency departments. Since its installation, maternal mortality dropped from 15-20 deaths monthly to 1-2 per month, and neonatal deaths also decreased from 50 to 20-25 monthly. The system has also helped healthcare workers perform life-saving surgeries without interruption, as these surgeries were often delayed or impossible due to power outages.

Faced with severe heat waves, escalating electricity costs and frequent blackouts, Pakistan took a grassroots approach to transitioning to solar power, making electricity more accessible and affordable. They’ve become a major market for solar, importing 17 gigawatts of solar panels from China in 2024 alone, doubling their 2023 numbers, making Pakistan the world’s third-biggest importer of solar panels.

We Don’t Waste serves more than 100 hunger relief organizations across the city and has saved and redistributed 220 million servings of food to date. The team of staff and volunteers who recover and distribute food to the community has not only helped prevent food waste, but also greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental consequences, all while feeding locals in need.

Artificial intelligence tools are helping the solar energy company Solstice better serve community solar subscribers and make projects more inclusive for low-income households. The tools use data to predict when subscribers might be facing problems that will likely lead to them leaving the project, such as delays or billing confusion, and vet subscribers based on whether they are likely to pay their bills instead of using their credit scores.

Farmers in India are using solar dryers to reduce the amount of crops that are wasted due to weather and increase their incomes. The enclosed machines reach high temperatures to dry out crops like grapes on mesh trays and produce a higher-quality, more hygienic end product compared to sun drying.