Between Dec 19, 2024 and Jan 2, 2025, datasets can be submitted to DRUM but will not be processed until after the break. Staff will not be available to answer email during this period, and will not be able to provide DOIs until after Jan 2. If you are in need of a DOI during this period, consider Dryad or OpenICPSR. Submission responses to the UDC may also be delayed during this time.
 

Solar Commons: Designing Community Trust Solar Ownership for Social Equity

Grimley, Matthew
Milun, Kathryn
2017
Thumbnail Image

View/Download File

CAP 224.pdf (8.98 MB)

Persistent link to this item

https://hdl.handle.net/11299/190208
Statistics
View Statistics

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Title

Solar Commons: Designing Community Trust Solar Ownership for Social Equity

Authors

Published Date

2017

Publisher

Type

Report

Abstract

Keywords

Description

In the United States, the sun shines for everyone, but many are left out from the economic benefits of the renewable energy transition. Community solar, meant to provide ownership and subscription options to those without the means, often stretch the imagination in how they use the word “community.” Is an investor-owned utility that offers its customers the opportunity to subsidize the utility’s solar-generated electricity with a higher price on their electricity bill really an example of “community solar”? What do we mean when we say “community solar” in the United States today? And how can we build a model of community solar that serves low-income communities and “the common good”? This study introduces a new model of community solar called “Solar Commons.” Solar Commons are solar energy systems that use community trust-ownership to deliver commonwealth benefits to low-income communities. Using the cultural history of community land trusts and the creative potential of trust law as a backdrop, this study demonstrates the particular progress of a Solar Commons demonstration project which the Solar Commons nonprofit proposes for the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

Related to

Replaces

License

Collections

Community Based Research (CBR): Community Assistantship Program Reports

Series/Report Number

CAP;224

Funding information

Prepared in partnership with the The Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL) by the Community Assistantship Program (CAP), which is administered by the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) at the University of Minnesota.

Isbn identifier

Doi identifier

Previously Published Citation

Other identifiers

Suggested citation

Grimley, Matthew; Milun, Kathryn. (2017). Solar Commons: Designing Community Trust Solar Ownership for Social Equity. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/190208.

Content distributed via the University Digital Conservancy may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor. By using these files, users agree to the Terms of Use. Materials in the UDC may contain content that is disturbing and/or harmful. For more information, please see our statement on harmful content in digital repositories.