Subscriber Agreement
Providers will require you to sign a contract -- the subscriber agreement -- to subscribe to their community solar installation. Understanding the subscriber agreement is key to getting the most out of community solar.
KEY PROVISIONS:
Subscription Type
The subscription type governs how you pay an provider for subscribing to their community solar installation. The subscription type you choose can influence your expected savings and the savings certainty.
SUBSCRIPTION TYPES
Contract Length and Exit Provisions
For pay-as-you-go subscription types, providers require a long-term agreement, typically around 25 years. This allows them to finance the solar power installations. Providers offer several ways to exit the agreement early at no or low cost.
EXIT PROVISIONS
Additional Fees
Some subscription agreements have additional fees beyond those associated with the subscription type (e.g., maintenance fee for pre-pay subscription type, processing fee for credit card payment). We ask providers to indicate any additional fees as part of their quote, but you should verify that your subscriber agreement only contains the fees you expect it to.
EXIT PROVISIONS
Start Date
The solar installation may not be built yet. Be sure to review when the installation is expected to open, what happens if it opens at a different time, and what happens if it doesn’t open at all.
Other Terms
Providers are not able to provide all the terms in their quotes through SolarMatch, so it’s important to review the subscriber agreement in detail. Additional terms may cover data privacy, notice provisions, or terms about when the installation is out of service.
Other Forms
You may need to complete other forms for your subscription in addition to your subscriber agreement. The typical ones include:
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Historical Electricity Use The provider will ask to have you execute a form allowing the utility to provide them your historic electricity usage data to correctly size your subscription.
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Subscriber Agency Agreement This form authorizes the utility to process your subscription and issue your bill credit on your monthly utility bills.
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Credit Check For pay-as-you-go subscription types, the provider will ask to run a credit check before executing a subscriber agreement with you.
Reviewing an Agreement
Like a mortgage or car loan, a subscription agreement is long-term contract. It is important to carefully review the agreement before signing it.
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