Climate Action and Sustainability

English | Spanish | Khmer | Tagalog

Community Solar Program

Community solar is supported by the State’s Community Renewables Program carried out by Southern California Edison (SCE). The program aims to provide the benefits of renewable energy without the need to install solar panels on individual properties, making it a great option for renters and homeowners.

Sign Up Today!

How the Program Works

Solar energy is generated on farms and sent to the electricity grid to be purchased by utility providers. You subscribe to a share of this electricity and receive a credit directly applied to your SCE utility bill. You pay only 90% of the value of the bill credits, resulting in savings of up to 10%.

Program Benefits

• Save money on your utility bill
• No solar panel or equipment necessary
• Invest in clean, renewable energy
• Lower your carbon footprint
• Help the City achieve its Long Beach Climate Action Plan (LB CAP) greenhouse gas reduction goals

How to Sign Up

Step 1: Visit powermarket.io/longbeach.html.

Step 2: Sign up in minutes by providing your contact information and utility account number.

Step 3: Receive monthly savings starting 1-2 months after project operation (expected late fall 2024).

Frequently Asked Questions

• What does it cost?

  It costs nothing to join, and no penalties if you need to cancel. You’ll save money on your energy costs as a participant every month.

• Is the program available for renters?

  Yes! Renters, homeowners, and businesses can all participate in community solar.

• Do I pay anything?

  Yes. You pay for the value of the clean energy applied to your account, but at a discount. It is like getting an SCE gift card every month, but only paying 90% the value for it.  For example, if PowerMarket lowers your SCE bill by $100, you will pay$90 for the value of that $100 reduction, saving you $10 that month, if the credit lowered your bill by $200, you’d pay $180, saving $20, but the same 10% discount on the value of the credit.

• Do I need any equipment/solar installation or to maintain anything?

  No. The community solar projects are being built in Inyokern, CA. You will not have to install or maintain any equipment.

• Can I participate if I currently have solar?

  No. This program is intended to enable those who couldn’t otherwise install solar on their roof (old roof, new tiles, renter, don’t own roof, etc.).

• By joining, will anything change to my SCE rate schedule or tariff?

  No, nothing will change to your current rate schedule. You will remain on your existing rate schedule, whether that is D (Domestic Service), TOU-D (Time Of Use Domestic), TOU-EV-1 (Domestic TOU EV Charging), or whatever schedule you are on. The only difference is that you will have your new community solar credit applied to your bill, reducing your billed amount each month.

• How do my savings work?

  When you sign up for a community solar project, you’ll be assigned a share of a big project's expected energy generation to match your ongoing energy needs, based on your typical usage. As your share produces electricity each month, the value of that electricity is placed on your utility bill in the form of a credit, reducing the amount owed to your utility.

• Why should I join a community solar project?

  You should join a community solar project if you like saving money, love making a positive environmental impact, and want to participate in our transition to a sustainable energy system, without worry or hassle.

• What’s the catch?

  There is no catch. You can visit SCE’s Community Renewables website to see SCE’s promotion of this program. When you scroll down, you will see the Inyokern 1203 project - That’s the current solar project available to Long Beach residents.