Solar share offers a great opportunity to participate in community solar without the upfront cost and maintenance hassle of rooftop systems. And if enough people sign up for shared solar projects, they will be able to lower their electricity rates, support the environment, and help create an energy system that is stronger and more resilient.

A key solar share of this is that can be open to anyone with an electric bill, including renters and those who don’t own their homes or live in places that wouldn’t get much sun. And it can be used by businesses, schools, and non-profits as well.

Solar Share: Harnessing Community Power for a Greener Future

This democratization of renewable energy will be driven in large part by community solar, which can provide many of the benefits of distributed “behind-the-meter” solar while opening up solar power to more people. It also provides utilities with a way to meet customer demand for renewables, especially in deregulated markets where they can sell power from third-party providers.

As the market for solar continues to grow, companies that specialize in making solar more affordable are likely to thrive. One example is First Solar (FSLR -0.38%), which has a huge backlog of sales contracts through 2024. It is also investing heavily in new manufacturing capacity to keep pace with the expansion of its customer base.

Another company to watch is Brookfield Renewable (BRL -0.48%), a yieldco that produces and sells renewable power. Its low-cost capital structure and steady revenue stream should enable it to grow rapidly in the coming years.