This is a short guide we’ve put together to help interested parties like yourself make better informed decisions. That being said, if you look through this guide and it appears your property meets all the criteria, that is NOT a guarantee that you property can host a solar project with UGE or another solar developer. You should not make any purchasing decisions based solely on the information found here.
Pick Your Project Type
What we look for in a site really depends on the kind of project being built. If you’re new to solar development, here’s a quick rundown of the project types: you’ve got rooftops, carports, ground mounts, and battery storage projects. Rooftops sit on buildings, ground mounts on open land, carports on parking lots, and battery storage projects can live in either space. All projects types are subject to local regulation; some counties and municipalities have enacted ‘solar moratoriums’ or exceedingly strict restrictions on solar development, so be sure to check solar regulations in your area.
Here are the specific property attributes we look for, depending on the project type:
Rooftops
To host a rooftop project, we typically look for a minimum of 50,000 square feet of flat space (the more, the better) on a building located in one of the following states: California, New Jersey, and New York. Unfortunately, we are unable to build in just any electric utility, so below is a list of the ones we can work within by state.
- California: San Diego Gas & Electric Co., Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Southern California Edison Co.
- New Jersey: Atlantic City Electric Co., Orange & Rockland Utilities Inc., Public Service Electric & Gas Co.
- New York: ConEd NYC, ConEd Westchester, New York State Electric & Gas, Orange & Rockland Utilities Inc., PSEG Long Island
Carports
Our criteria for carport projects and rooftop projects are the same, just swap 30,000+ square feet of parking lot space in for rooftop space.
Ground-Mounts
To host a ground mount project, we typically look for a minimum of 10 acres (the more, the better) of contiguous, buildable land. The property will need to be located near (ideally under 2 miles from) electrical feeder lines with three-phase capacity. The buildable area cannot exceed a slope of 20%, and areas such as wetlands and critical habitats cannot be considered.
We can build ground-mount projects in the following states: California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Texas. Unfortunately, we are unable to build in every electric utility, so below is a list of the ones we can work within by state (where applicable):
- California: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., San Diego Gas & Electric Co., Southern California Edison Co.
- Illinois: Ameren Illinois Company, Commonwealth Edison Co.
- Maryland: Baltimore Gas & Electric Co., Delmarva Power, Potomac Electric Power Co.
- New York: Orange & Rockland Utilities Inc., New York State Electric & Gas Corp.
- Texas: Anywhere within ERCOT
Battery Storage
To host a battery energy storage system (BESS), we look for 7,000-15,000 square feet of land located in areas zoned commercial or industrial, near transmission lines. The following states are ones where we can build BESS projects: California, New York, and Texas.
Additional Considerations
In addition to the above, we also pay attention to incentive zones when selecting a site for a project. The more incentive zones within which a property is located, the more likely we are to want to build on it. The following are the primary zones UGE considers, and you can click to learn more about them:
- Energy Community Tax Credit Bonus
- New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program
- Opportunity Zones
- Rural Energy for America (REAP) Grant
Frequently Asked Questions
UGE is 100% responsible for all costs and work associated with the project. You will never pay for anything, and instead, will earn lease payments in exchange for hosting the project. UGE is responsible for all work, every step of the way, including permitting, development, construction, and associated property taxes for the full lifecycle of the project, and when the time comes, we are responsible for decommissioning the project.
We’re thrilled to see more and more states launching community solar programs, so the list is growing all the time, but right now we are excited to hear from property owners in the following states:
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Illinois
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Virginia
Texas
Lease rates vary quite a bit based on the city, county, and utility territory where your property sits, as well as the specific characteristics of your property. In order to provide an estimate lease rate, we’ll need to complete a quick feasibility analysis for your property. Just fill out the form located below to get started!
Solar is a clean and renewable source of energy that is largely carbon- and pollution-free. In fact, considering lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, solar generation produces less than 1/20th of the emissions of coal generation and uses much less water. It also boasts smaller land use footprints when compared to coal, biomass, natural gas, and nuclear.
Land impacts from solar farms can be minimized by siting projects on previously disturbed or altered landscapes (often called brownfields), or sites where multiple compatible land uses can be maintained e.g., agricultural lands, existing buildings, parking garages, etc.
For sustainable groundskeeping, we typically select and plant native species. Benefits of native shrubs and groundcovers, such as grasses and wildflowers, include improved erosion control, pesticide avoidance, stormwater infiltration, wildlife habitat, and reduced overall maintenance.
In the case of agricultural lands, solar farms can either provide an opportunity for dual-use of lands while continuing productive agricultural use of the site or use property that would have otherwise sit dormant or only had nominal use.
For more information on the topic check out this article!
Get Started
Become our next solar project host and earn passive income while bringing clean energy to your community.