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Community-led energy aims to center the voice of the community who is served by the energy project through community engagement and education. Each community-led energy project is inherently different given the variability of the communities which they serve.
A community advisory board is a collective group of paid community members and organization representatives that participate in gatherings to identify community insights and vote on decision-making for local solutions.
Community organizing will enhance ongoing work and establish new efforts to advocate for a just transition. As members and leaders of various environmental justice coalitions, we are often in spaces where energy justice is discussed. However, even in these spaces, conversations can be highly technical and are limited to those in attendance.
We work with community partners and community based organizations to ensure they lead local energy solutions.
We advance policy and education that catalyzes community-led energy projects.
Climate-impacted communities lead local clean energy solutions.
Project developers often approach community engagement as an afterthought. We advocate for an inclusive, co-designed process that invites and relies on community input from day zero. Determining a project location that is supported by local stakeholders is critical to long term project success and is a clear example of community voices leading project development.
Community solar is a more accessible form of solar energy because it expands access to community members who rent, or do not own their roof. All community members can participate in a community solar garden through shared ownership or energy savings.
This is an opportunity for us to uplift communities by bringing them along in advocating for policies and also just supporting the work like a war effort where we are mobilizing all communities of people for the fight of climate change and decarbonization."
Community solar enables households to enroll in a local shared solar array and see savings on their electric bill, without any of the extra costs or installation problems introduced by putting it on a rooftop. Community solar is in theory a more accessible form of solar energy because it expands access to community members who rent, or do not own their roof. All community members can participate in a community solar garden through shared ownership or energy savings.
However, people of color and income-eligible households continue to be excluded from renewable energy projects, such as community solar, and energy efficiency programs. We believe project development needs to be grounded in communities, from the beginning, to revolutionize the energy system. With this in mind, we envision a model of community solar that centers climate-impacted communities and is entirely community-led. Through our work, Energy Allies and community partners build solar projects that prioritizes community voices and provide opportunities for residents to build wealth. Our projects offer income-eligible households the opportunity to benefit from community-owned, community-led clean energy. Every aspect of this project will be decided on by a Community Advisory Board made up of local leaders with Energy Allies acting as a technical advisor.
Large, flat rooftops or parking areas are ideal for siting in an urban area. Locations that are southfacing and are not overly shaded are good places to start.
Older roofs may not support added weight of panels
Roofs may be home to other infrastructure such as HVAC or generators
Some roofs may be too small to support a community solar project
Roofs may not be oriented in a way that ensures adequate sun exposure
Energy Allies’ community-led projects revolutionize the energy system by centering local leadership and ownership of clean energy projects in climate-impacted communities.
Direct ownership of solar assets allows the local community to realize full resulting economic benefits, not third party tax-equity investors. Energy Allies works at the nexus of clean energy and social justice to provide all households, regardless of race, ethnicity, income, home ownership status or other factors, access to clean energy through community-led energy, research and innovation, clean energy education, and advocacy for inclusive clean energy policies. We envision a future where accessible clean energy powers thriving communities.
We incorporate community input into program design from the very beginning of our project work through Community Needs Assessments and our Community Advisory Board.
Create a system to share the benefits of the community solar garden with households who can't install a panel on their rooftop
Co-design equitable financing options, like scholarships so everyone in the community can participate in ownership
Support pathways to high-paying solar industry jobs
Track equity metrics in all hiring for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC)
Energy Allies believes that a just transition will require greater investment in energy efficiency upgrades that result in significant savings for income-eligible households.
We're demanding equity metrics in energy efficiency programs.
We're building access for all energy-insecure households.
We pay community members in climate-impacted communities to lead program design.
We ask for increased funding for energy efficiency, health, and housing,
We are building a model of local energy that centers climate-impacted communities.
We participate in coalitions across racial, economic and energy justice movements to promote the equitable adoption of clean energy in climate-impacted communities. Join our policy advocacy initiatives!
We provide free education through resources, curriculums and events to mobilize climate-impacted communities to participate in the movement to revolutionize the energy system.
Your support advances our mission to facilitate education that builds an inclusive energy transition.