Community Solar makes it possible for renters, homeowners and businesses to participate in solar without needing to install their own solar panels.

Community members simply subscribe to a local community solar farm and begin earning solar energy credits that reduce their electricity costs. Our community solar farms are coming online beginning in December 2025.

What is Community Solar?

Housing Initiative Partnership has partnered with Clean Slate Solar and Neighborhood Sun to bring clean energy and savings to PEPCO and BG&E users through the state of Maryland’s Community Solar Initiative. This is not third-party energy, but an authorized program through the state.

By subscribing for free to a local community solar farm through Neighborhood Sun, you will receive solar credits for 90% of your electricity usage. All subscribers receive a 10% discount on your credit, and subscribers below 80% of the area median income receive a 20% discount on your credit. The discount is slated to last a minimum of 25 years.

Income Limit to Save 20% on Your Solar Credit – By Household Size

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$68,500 $78,250 $88,050 $97,800 $105,650 $113,450 $121,300 $129,100

NOTE: The State of Maryland will move to consolidated billing as of January 1, 2026. The utility bill will list all of the credits and discounts, and subscribers will only pay one bill, as opposed to two.

For questions about eligibility or to enroll, please contact:

HIP’s Prince George’s County Office:

— Claudia Bledsoe, HIP’s Community Development Specialist, (240) 388-9629 or by email

HIP’s Montgomery County Office:

— John Luecke, Chesapeake Conservation & Climate Corps Member, (240) 329-4112 or by email

Community Solar – Virtual Info Sessions on Zoom

No! There is no installation of solar panels. Instead, you are subscribing to a local community solar farm in Landover, MD.

Yes! Whether you own a house or rent a house or apartment, if you have your own utility bill from either Pepco or BG&E, you can subscribe to community solar through Neighborhood Sun.

No, community solar is not the same as third-party energy. Third-party energy offers energy through deregulated markets, promising lower rates that disappear if someone does not renew their contract in time, and hefty early cancellation fees for fixed rate contracts.

Community solar was created by the state to be an ethical, safe alternative to third-party energy. Community solar through Neighborhood Sun provides clean energy from a local source, guarantees a 10% or 20% discount on energy costs by tying solar credits to regulated utility rates, ensuring consistent savings regardless of rate fluctuations with no rate hikes, and has no cancellation fee.

Clean Slate Solar is the company that financed the solar project, and Neighborhood Sun is responsible for subscribing and distributing the energy produced by the solar project.

Housing Initiative Partnership has partnered with Clean Slate Solar to both educate and subscribe folks to community solar with Neighborhood Sun. HIP does not have a financial relationship with Neighborhood Sun. Clean Slate Solar has received a grant from the state to implement this program, based on the stipulations that they get a certain number of folks subscribed. HIP has received some grant funding from Clean Slate Solar to do this outreach work.