Washington Community Solar Program
You can subscribe to a community solar project to receive credits on your electricity bill from solar energy generated by a shared facility, provided you're a customer of the utility serving the project site. Projects must have at least 10 participants and typically range up to 1 megawatt in capacity; if you're low-income, tribal, or a public agency member, you may qualify for additional direct benefits under programs established through HB 1814.
Community solar companies own and operate solar projects up to 1 megawatt DC nameplate capacity and bill subscribers for the energy produced. You must ensure projects meet minimum participant requirements (10 participants or 1 per 10 kW, whichever is greater) and comply with standard interconnection agreements for systems exceeding 500 kW; the state certifies operators and maintains a list of permitted community solar companies.
Washington's community solar program, governed by RCW 82.16.170, authorizes private administrators to develop projects capped at 1 MW with minimum participation thresholds. HB 1814 (passed March 2022) established a $100 million incentive program over 10 years for systems 12–199 kW with low-income subscribers or service providers, with $2 million reserved for nonprofits and $2 million for tribal governments; precertification is available through June 30, 2033. The earlier WSUEEP incentive program closed to new certifications in July 2021.
Program details
- Program ID
- 22466
- Effective
- 7/1/2022
- Last updated
- 3/3/2026
Eligibility
- Sectors
- commercial industrial local government nonprofit residential schools state government federal government tribal government agricultural multifamily residential low income residential institutional
- Technologies
- solar photovoltaics lithium-ion
Program summary
Beginning July 1st, 2017, under Revised Code of Washington Title 82, Chapter 82.16.170 (RCW 82.16.170), the state of Washington granted community solar administrators the ability to organize and administer community solar projects. Stipulations surrounding community solar projects include a maximum direct current (DC) nameplate capacity of 1 megawatt (MW), as well as a minimum of 10 participants or 1 participant per 10 kW DC nameplate capacity, whichever is greater. Projects exceeding 500 kW will be subject to a standard interconnection agreement. Members participating in any community solar project must be customers of the utility providing service at the site. Additional organizational and administrative information can be found within the above mentioned RCW chapter.
To incentivize the creation of community solar projects, RCW 82.16.165 details avenues community solar administrators can pursue to obtain incentives through the Washington State University Extension Energy Program (WSUEEP). This program closed to new project certifications in July 2021.
In March 2022, the Washington legislature passed HB 1814 - 2021-22, establishing a new community solar incentive program that provides direct benefits to low-income subscribers, low-income service provider subscribers, and tribal and public agency subscribers. Eligible systems have a DC nameplate capacity between 12 kW and 199 kW and at least two low-income subscribers or one low-income service provider. The budget for this incentive is $100 million to be spent over the next 10 years, of which $2 million must be used to support nonprofit organizations’ innovative approaches to allocating benefits to subscribers, $2 million must also be available to tribal governments. This incentive program will offer project precertification through June 30, 2033.
Contact & resources
- Contact email
- utcenergyratesandservices@utc.wa.gov
- Additional resources
Please verify current program details with the administering agency before making any financial decisions.
