Develop Community Solar projects that benefit individual community members or community oriented organizations and are owned by the community.
How It Works
1. Solar Panels Are Installed on a Community Rooftop. BCSC partners with a building owner (like a nonprofit, church, or business) to host a solar array on their roof. There’s no upfront cost to the host—BCSC handles everything: design, permits, installation, and maintenance.
2. The Solar Energy Is Sold to the Utility. The electricity produced by the rooftop array flows into the local utility grid. The utility buys this solar power and tracks how much is generated.
3. Local Residents and Organizations Subscribe. Community members sign up to become “subscriber members.” Subscribers receive monthly credits on their utility bill—typically saving around 20%.
4. The Co-op Owns and Governs the Project. Instead of a big developer owning the system, the co-op (that’s us!) owns it. Worker members manage and maintain the system. Subscribers get voting power in co-op decisions—one member, one vote.
5. Profits Stay in the Community. Surplus revenue is shared among worker owners or reinvested locally. No outside corporate owners—just community-driven solar for the long haul.
Community Solar Model
Our Model
We advance energy justice by creating community-owned solar projects that directly benefit environmental justice communities. Utilizing investment tax credits, grants, community lenders and community investment we finance solar infrastructure while ensuring the community retains ownership and profits. This model reduces energy costs and provides financial opportunities, allowing residents to benefit from clean energy and build wealth, fostering economic resilience and inclusion in the clean energy future.
