Posted on May 2nd, 2022

Duke Energy, one of America's largest energy holding companies, is inviting residential, small/medium business and income-qualified customers in Florida to register to subscribe to the company's new community solar program—Clean Energy Connection.

With the subscription, customers can receive bill credits for the solar energy generated by their participation and lower their costs over time without installing or maintaining their own solar systems.

Duke Energy, one of America's largest energy holding companies, is inviting residential, small/medium business and income-qualified customers in Florida to register to subscribe to the company's new community solar program—Clean Energy Connection.

With the subscription, customers can receive bill credits for the solar energy generated by their participation and lower their costs over time without installing or maintaining their own solar systems.

Community Solar Power Plant

Specifically, to enjoy the benefits, customers need to subscribe to the "kilowatt blocks" of solar power from the company's Clean Energy Connection solar portfolio. The monthly subscription fee will help pay for the construction and operation of the company's solar plants and is conveniently added to a customer's regular electric bill.

Currently, the monthly subscription fee is priced at $8.35 per kW. A customer who consumes approximately 1,000 kWh per month could subscribe to the 4- or 5-kilowatt block to cover their entire monthly consumption. Subscribers receive bill credits based on their subscription size and the amount of solar energy produced by the Clean Energy Connection solar facilities each month.

"Our customers want affordable, clean energy options, and we believe larger-scale solar is the most cost-effective way to advance the benefits of solar on our entire system," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president.

According to the company, participating customers can achieve a seven-year full payback, with bill credits first exceeding subscription fees in around three to five years. As long as the customer remains in the program for seven years, the annual bill credits are projected to be more than the subscription costs, creating real savings.

The Clean Energy Connection program also sets aside 26 megawatts (MW) for low-income customers who participate in government subsidy programs or Duke Energy's low-income energy efficiency program, Neighborhood Energy Saver.

Interested customers can subscribe without the pressure of enrolling on a first-come, first-served basis in a seven-day random selection process starting April 20.

Original article: https://solarmagazine.com/2022/04/duke-energy-new-cost-effective-way-for-florida-customers-to-use-solar/