The community solar market is heating up thanks to favorable state legislation and interest from utilities in installing solar panels that provide cost-sharing among consumers who don't have access to rooftop solar. With nearly 50 percent of the households and businesses unable to host rooftop solar systems, community solar is a largely untapped market for consumers looking to invest in solar, which is becoming cheaper than retail electricity in parts of the country. In fact, the average price of installing photovoltaic systems is projected to drop 40 percent by 2020, from $2.16 per watt in 2014 to $1.24 per watt in 2020. "There's tremendous potential for growth in community solar," David Feldman, senior financial analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory told Bloomberg BNA. "Given the percentage of people who can't use on-site solar, but could easily use shared solar, one could see growth there."
展开▼
