Shared Solar for Business FAQ

MGE electric customers who meet the following eligibility criteria may participate in Shared Solar for Business:

• Your electric service needs to be on an eligible rate class.
  • Eligible rate classes include: All commercial rates including Cg-6, Cg-5, Cg-4, Cg-3, Cg-2 and and Sp-3.
• Your MGE account must be in good standing.
  • You cannot be more than 60 days in arrears.
  • You haven't been subject to collections action within the last year.

Submit an interest form, and an MGE Account Manager will reach out to confirm your eligibility and next steps.

The power generated by MGE's solar arrays is delivered to our community grid.

Yes!

You can cancel your participation at any time.  
 
Customers enrolled in Option 1 must pay a $30/share fee if leaving the program within the first three years; this is reduced to $20/share in the fourth year of participation, and $10/share in the fifth year.

Shared Solar for Business does not prohibit installation of solar panels or batteries at your facility.

Yes. You may transfer the shares to another business location if it is within MGE's service area. Participation ends if you move outside of MGE's electric service area.

Participants pay a one-time, up-front fee to reserve a portion of the electricity produced at a local MGE solar array. Customers enrolled in Option 2 will pay a monthly per-kWh charge for their chosen subscription amount. The monthly per-kWh charge will remain fixed with participants, even if they move within MGE's electric service territory, for the life of the five-year agreement.

Two subscription options are available:

The one-time Shared Solar for Business fee will appear on your first bill after the solar array is online. If you enrolled in Option 1, this is also when your monthly per-kWh charge will begin. 

Shared Solar for Business is an optional community solar program for business customers with MGE electric service. It's a way to reduce your business's environmental footprint while helping MGE meet our goal of net-zero carbon electricity. Participants pay to subscribe to shares of solar energy from local MGE solar arrays, and MGE retires the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) associated with those shares on the customers' behalf.

MGE's community solar program offers eligible electric customers the opportunity to purchase shares of locally generated solar energy. Participants share the output of the solar installation. Community solar customers don't receive the solar energy directly—their participation supports the growth of renewable energy supplied to our grid, helping to create a more sustainable energy supply for all MGE electric customers.

Participants do not install or maintain their own systems, and no special equipment is required to participate.

Eligible business customers can reserve shares of electricity produced from the following MGE solar arrays:  

• Six Mile Solar, a 6-megawatt (MW) project to be constructed in Waunakee (near State Highway 113 and Kennedy Drive), is expected to generate 11,200 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity.
• Pine Hill Solar, a 6-MW project to be constructed in Cross Plains (near County Highway P and Pine Hill Road), is expected to generate 11,200 MWh of electricity.

Shares in Six Mile Solar and Pine Hill Solar are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Once Shared Solar for Business is fully subscribed, MGE will continue to evaluate additional sites.

MGE continues to grow our use of carbon-free generation to meet our community's energy needs while working to achieve our goal of net-zero carbon electricity.

Participation in programs like Shared Solar for Business is a powerful way to help us reach this goal.

We do everything we can to maintain and operate the system to maximize the amount of electricity produced. Changes in the energy generated are normal because the amount of sunlight changes with the weather and seasons. The system will generate the most electricity in the summer when the sun is higher in the sky and the days are longer. It also is normal for solar panels to generate less energy over time as they age (about one-half of 1% less per year).