California Community Solar Project Will Help The Disadvantaged

Sign up for CleanTechnica’s Weekly Substack for Zach and Scott’s in-depth analyses and high level summaries, sign up for our daily newsletter, and/or follow us on Google News!

Last Updated on: 27th April 2025, 02:06 pm

Rooftop solar power is not affordable for all homeowners, and some people rent in structures where rooftop solar is not available. Community solar installations allow access for people who might not otherwise have it. It’s one of the best human uses of clean, renewable electricity.

Here at Cleantechnica, we have written many stories about community solar power projects, because they are important and have the dual purpose of helping people and the environment. A joint community solar power project from Peninsula Clean Energy and Renewable America, Dos Palos, recently came online in Merced County, California. The electricity it generates will help disadvantaged people by decreasing their utility bill costs. Peninsula Clean Energy and Renewable America staff answered some questions about the new solar power project for CleanTechnica.

When did the new community solar power plant become operational and what is its capacity?

The plant became operational on March 14, 2025, with a capacity of 4.29 MW dc / 3 MW ac.

How many people will benefit from the community solar?

PCE procures capacity from this Dos Palos project as well as another. This project supports approx. 1,200 community solar subscribers, and in total we have 2,640 customers subscribed to the community solar projects. They are fully subscribed at this time, and we will continue to maintain full subscriptions over the course of the 20-year contract term. These customers may expect to receive approximately $20-$30 in monthly electricity bill savings by subscribing to the array. $20/month in bill savings for 2,640 customers over 20 years equates to a forecasted $12.67 M in expected bill savings over the total contract term.

How long did it take to install the community solar power plant and how much might it save over its lifetime?

Installation took approximately 6 months. See above for expected bill savings over the contract term.

What was the project cost and how many jobs were created during the construction?

Project cost is confidential, however, you can use these articles to gain a better understanding of community solar cost assumptions on an average basis: article 1, article 2, article 3. There were approximately 40 jobs created during construction.

Who is operating and maintaining the community solar project and who many jobs are needed to run it?

The project owner is responsible for selecting and overseeing the operations and maintenance partner. While we can’t disclose specifics at this time, we can confirm that the project is designed to require approximately 5 jobs.