A Guide to Arcadia Community Solar

Who is Arcadia?

Arcadia is a manager of the nation’s leading community solar program, launched in 2014 with a mission to ensure that everyone deserves access to clean energy. The company serves as a technology-driven clean energy platform that connects consumers to renewable energy projects and manages utility data to make sustainable choices simple and transparent. By linking utility accounts directly to clean energy sources, Arcadia enables individuals and businesses to reduce their carbon footprint without the need to install solar panels or change their power provider.

Arcadia Clean Energy Highlights

• As of January 2024, Arcadia announced it manages 2 gigawatts (GW) of community solar capacity, cementing its status as the largest community solar manager in the U.S.
• In March 2025, Arcadia’s community solar subsidiary merged with Perch Energy to form a new venture, projected to manage over 3 GW across 16 states and serve 300,000+ residential equivalents.
• Although Arcadia also serves businesses and offers broader energy data and analytics services, its community solar program is designed with homeowners, renters, and everyday electricity consumers in mind.

Arcadia Provider Score

At Electricityrates.com, we take our provider’s reputation seriously.  We only work with energy providers who are customer-centric, product-focused, and driven by innovation.  Based on our research, we have scored Arcadia in the following four areas that we examine when evaluating provider partners.

• Product Offering 5/5: Arcadia is the nation’s leader in community solar generation, with over 2GW of capacity. In addition, they are a global utility data and energy solutions platform delivering solutions for every stage of the enterprise energy management lifecycle across carbon, cost, and reliability.
• Customer Support 4.5/5: With an easy-to-use platform, they ensure subscribers benefit from solar credits and can reach out via chat, phone, or email at any time.
• History and Outreach 5/5: This community solar company is a certified B Corporation with over 200,000 subscriptions. Arcadia’s mission is to make green energy universally accessible with a deep commitment to the community and planet.
• Customer Reviews 4/5: Arcadia is certified with the Better Business Bureau, and with their rapid growth, it is clear that customers can’t get enough of this community solar provider.

What is Community Solar

The first community solar farms emerged in 2006, and today they are the fastest-growing segment of the solar industry. They allow everyone to benefit from solar power without installing panels or equipment.

Community solar is when a group of people shares electricity from a local solar farm. The model allows multiple customers, such as individuals, businesses, and nonprofits, to benefit from a solar project within a specific region. Customers subscribe to solar panels located off-site. They receive a credit on their electric bill for the electricity produced by the portion of the community solar they own.

How the Arcadia Community Solar Program Works

Arcadia simplifies what used to be a complex process. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Check eligibility: Enter your ZIP Code at the top of this page to see if community solar is available in your region.
2. Select a local solar farm share: Arcadia affiliates you with a nearby solar farm based on your location and utility energy usage profile.
3. Solar farm generates energy: The farm generates clean energy, which flows into the local utility grid — you don’t physically relocate power; instead, you’re credited for your share.
4. Receive credits on your electricity bill: Arcadia “digitally connects” your utility account to track your share of production and ensures your bill credits reflect the solar farm’s output.
5. No rooftop panels, no installations: Because your share lives off-site, you avoid rooftop installation, maintenance, up-front costs, or solar equipment on your property.

Why this is beneficial

• Renters, condo owners, or homeowners with unsuitable roofs are eligible to participate.
• Arcadia claims the savings on your bill will exceed what you pay for your portion of the solar farm; the process is designed to be bill-neutral or bill-positive.
• You maintain your same electricity utility provider; nothing changes about your power delivery — only how you are credited on the bill.

Does Arcadia Currently Serve Your State?

As of mid-2024, Arcadia reports that capacity is under management in 13 states including, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, plus the District of Columbia, with plans to expand into California.

Important to note:

Availability may vary even within those states, depending on specific utility territories and ZIP codes. More states are being added as community solar legislation expands, so if you live outside one of these states, keep checking — community solar may be coming soon.

How Billing Works with Arcadia Community Solar

Understanding how you’ll see savings on your bill is key — here’s how Arcadia handles it.

When you enroll, Arcadia links directly to your utility account to determine your typical monthly kilowatt-hour (kWh) usage and assign an appropriate portion of a nearby solar farm. Your utility continues to deliver electricity as normal; what changes is that you will begin receiving solar production credits on your bill for the share of energy produced by your subscription.

Arcadia aims to ensure the credit you receive exceeds what you pay for the solar share, thereby lowering your overall bill. While savings vary by market and program, one third-party review noted an Arcadia offer included around 10% savings off the supply portion for an Illinois program, though others in the market may offer higher rates. Depending on how the local program is structured, you will often receive a single, combined statement that reflects your regular utility charges minus the solar credit benefit. Furthermore, if you move, you can typically cancel your subscription without penalty and look for a comparable program in your new location.

For example, if you earned $100 credit discount off of your April utility bill, you will pay your community solar provider for 90% of that, or $90 in June. Arcadia passes along that money to the solar farm owner, and you net out with $10 savings, just not during the same month.

This example bill scenario is for a resident on a 10% savings project. Savings rates will vary by state and eligibility factors.

Pro tip: If you want to maximize your total savings, you can pair Arcadia’s community solar plan with a low fixed-rate electricity plan from a leading provider. Compare rates and options directly on ElectricityRates.com to see how much more you can save by bundling both.

Why Choose Arcadia?

Here’s what stands out:

• Accessibility: You don’t have to own your home or install panels. Renters and homeowners alike can participate.
• Simplicity: Arcadia manages the behind-the-scenes logistics; you receive credits and a lower bill without roof installation.
• No up-front costs: Many community solar programs through Arcadia have no enrollment or termination fees.
• Scalable & Reliable: With GW-scale capacity under management and a significant industry merger underway, Arcadia solar energy farms bring scale and institutional backing.
• Environmental & Financial Benefits: You support the deployment of clean energy and aim to reduce your bills. Learn more about Arcadia’s environmental impact below.

Arcadia’s Environmental Impact

Choosing Arcadia community solar means you’re not just chasing bill savings—you’re participating in a cleaner grid and supporting scalable renewable infrastructure. That 2 GW production milestone is equivalent to preventing more than 2 billion pounds of coal from being burned each year (per Arcadia’s announcement).

According to Arcadia’s own “State of Community Solar” report, the industry is experiencing rapid growth (driven by federal incentives such as the Inflation Reduction Act), and community solar is increasingly making renewable energy accessible and equitable. By subscribing, you contribute to increased solar generation on the grid, which means fewer fossil-fuel-based generation hours, faster deployment of clean energy, and expanded local economic activity (job creation, leasing of land, etc.).

Effectively, your participation helps reduce your carbon footprint and supports the growth of renewable energy infrastructure in your region. With no rooftop panels needed, no major upfront investment, and the opportunity to save while making an environmental impact, this is an accessible way to join the renewable energy movement on your terms. Use your retail provider strategically, pair it with an eligible Arcadia energy subscription, and start powering your home with smarter electricity choices.

Arcadia Contact Information

Need to get in touch? Arcadia makes it easy:

• Official Website
• Phone: (866) 526-0083
• Email: Submit a request via email
• Account Log In