The Story of Altus: The Founding of a Clean Power Company

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Are you already making a difference (and getting a discount on your annual electricity costs) through Altus Community Solar? Do you know someone who would want to do the same? You and they can both get $50 through Altus Power’s Community Solar referral program.

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The cost of solar panels can be a major outlay for homeowners, but there’s an alternative — one with which solar energy doesn’t have to cost a cent and can even save customers money. By participating in Community Solar, customers pay nothing up front, and they save money through utility bill discounts. Community solar is thus a viable option for households that can’t afford solar panels or — in the case of renters and condo owners — can’t install them. In fact, 77% of U.S. residential households are likely ineligible for rooftop solar systems, according to GTM.

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Americans might get a shock when they see their electric bills this summer, as the cost to keep cool is projected to reach record-breaking levels in the United States in the upcoming months. Community Solar, though, offers savings, with no home equipment or upfront fees required.

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Altus Power’s Hawaii program supports the state’s transition to clean electric power. As with our presence in other states, Altus offers Hawaii residents — homeowners and renters alike — the benefits of Community Solar, including the chance to reduce their community’s carbon footprint, without any equipment or changes to their existing utility.

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Solar energy is on the rise, but what happens to the estimated 77% of U.S. households that can’t install rooftop solar? Whether they wish to save money or help reduce the United States’ reliance on fossil fuels, households for whom rooftop solar isn’t possible or affordable can still benefit from solar energy. Community Solar links households with solar projects — e.g. solar farms — by allowing them to purchase solar energy, often at a discount, that then gets delivered to the local grid.

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June 5 is World Environment Day, an annual occurrence that the United Nations Environment Programme launched in 1973 to engage the public to protect and restore the Earth. And at Altus Power, we’re celebrating World Environment Day by spotlighting the environmental benefits of Community Solar, subscription-based clean energy programs that connect customers with solar energy projects around the United States.

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If you’re wondering whether Community Solar is available in your state, you may already know that Community Solar fills in the gaps where residential solar isn’t available or affordable. Here are details on Community Solar policies in the states where Altus Power has Community Solar projects.

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The term “solar farm” may conjure images of fields with rows of solar panels, much like rows of any agricultural crop. And that’s exactly what many solar farms look like. But these projects take other forms, too, especially in areas where land comes at a premium or where land isn’t suitable for other uses.

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You see solar panels everywhere: on rooftops, on car canopies, on compacting trashcans, on outdoor lamps, on spacecraft, and in solar farms like the one Altus Power owns and operates in Kapolei, HI. But what is solar energy, and how does solar energy work? How do those panels convert sunlight to electricity?

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The state of New York is committed to making solar energy accessible and affordable for all. We are proud to play a role in that progress as we continue expanding our Community Solar presence and serving customers in the Empire State.

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Altus Power

If you’re curious about Community Solar, you’ve come to the right place. Here at Altus Power, we are leading the way towards a more sustainable future by offering Community Solar to homeowners and renters in multiple states across the country.

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Now that CES 2024 is a few days behind me, I’ve had some time to reflect on everything I saw and heard during my trip to Las Vegas. Not only did I have the opportunity to experience the trade show floor and take in the wide range of sustainability innovations featured at the show, but I also had the honor of representing Altus Power on a panel about AI and sustainability alongside industry leaders: Rene Lammers from PepsiCo, Aviad Almagor from Trimble and moderator Ariana Stolarz from Accenture. Here are three themes that emerged from this lively conversation.

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January 10th is National Cut Your Energy Costs Day and we're sharing our top 5 tips for saving on electricity costs this year.

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We're in a moment of huge growth in renewable energy. Check out our latest post for highlights from 2023 and a look ahead for 2024.

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Unsplash

Earlier this year, Forbes released a list of 100 "Net Zero Leaders" — companies like CBRE who are both "leading the transition to a low-carbon economy by 2050" and changing their business models to meet sustainability targets. Getting on a list like this — or striving to — isn't just about good PR. (Though that doesn't hurt either, of course.)

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Pexels

In order for America to have a chance at hitting global climate targets, the commercial sector needs to ensure that its power is electric and clean. In short: the future of net zero depends on solar-forward commercial that transforms communities.

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Altus

After a successful two-year pilot program, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities recently established a permanent Community Solar Energy Program designed to provide more New Jersey residents — especially from low- and moderate-income households — greater access to clean energy and significantly lower utility bills. The new program will support enough solar to enroll about 30,000 subscribers across the state.