Shared Solar FAQ

Our community solar program, Shared Solar, offers participating customers the opportunity to lower their environmental impact and carbon footprint—helping us create a more sustainable energy future. Shared Solar participants purchase shares of solar energy produced by MGE solar arrays at Morey Field in Middleton and the City of Middleton Municipal Operations Center. 

Shared Solar is easy, affordable local solar. There is no need for Shared Solar participants to install or maintain solar panels, update your roof or remove trees. And, participation can go with you if you move within our electric service territory! 

While the current program is closed to new participants, residential and business electric customers can join the waiting list to purchase shares if a new Shared Solar array is built to expand the number of available shares. Shares are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no obligation to purchase shares by joining the list.

No. Participants reserve a portion of the electricity produced from the solar arrays.

The power from the Shared Solar arrays is delivered to MGE's electric grid. It replaces electricity that would have been generated by fossil fuels and other sources.

Buying your own system involves paying up front or taking out a loan for the cost of the solar system, along with other potential costs such as roof replacement or tree trimming as well as ongoing maintenance and insurance. There are both federal and state rebates currently available for rooftop solar, which can help offset the initial cost for those who are able to install panels on their home. Learn more.

Joining Shared Solar involved paying a minimal up-front participation fee and a set Shared Solar rate for the solar energy per kWh. There is no need for installation, maintenance or replacement of equipment as MGE manages all of that for you. For all Shared Solar electricity, the per-kWh electricity rate will not exceed the current rate for the term of the agreement. Current participants in the program are now seeing savings based on the current standard electricity rate. 

For both rooftop solar and Shared Solar, you pay an up-front cost in the short term to lock in your electricity rate to help protect against rate increases over time. Also, in both cases, you are supporting clean, local renewable energy to reduce your carbon footprint and help our community achieve net-zero carbon electricity.

We do everything we can to maintain and operate the system to maximize the amount of electricity. 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 is also normal for solar panels to generate less energy over time as they age (about one-half of 1% less per year). 

We do everything we can to make repairs and restore the solar system to optimal performance. Damage to the solar arrays will not cause participants to lose power. MGE will continue to meet the energy needs of the participants with other resources as long as there is no damage to the electrical system feeding their homes. 

Both of MGE’s renewable energy programs provide eligible electric customers with the opportunity to support electricity from clean energy sources. Under Shared Solar, customers paid a one-time, up-front fee to reserve a portion (up to half of their annual electricity use) of the energy produced at MGE’s Shared Solar arrays. Participating customers pay a fixed price of $0.109 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for their share of the energy produced by these solar arrays. 

MGE's Green Power Tomorrow (GPT) program offers customers a flexible, affordable option for supporting regional renewable energy resources and offsetting their greenhouse gas emissions. Each kWh of electricity you are allocated from the GPT program will be from renewable energy resources in our area, including both wind farms and solar arrays. Those allocated kWh include the environmental benefits, or Renewable Energy Certificates, which are retired on your behalf. GPT is one cent** more per kWh.

Eligible electric customers can participate in both our Shared Solar and GPT programs.

Shared Solar was designed by MGE with help from our customers. It's an example of the types of innovative programs, products and services through which we are partnering with customers to reduce carbon emissions and advance our Energy 2030 framework. MGE is targeting carbon reductions of at least 80% by 2030 and net-zero carbon electricity by 2050.

Participants paid a one-time participation fee of $47.25 per share when signing up.  
 
The Shared Solar electricity rate is currently $0.101 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and will not increase throughout the life of the program. Participants also pay a reduced transmission service rate (currently $0.008 per kWh) on all Shared Solar energy billed. This is 50% of the standard transmission service rate and reflects the benefit of local solar in reducing transmission costs. This rate will be periodically reviewed by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Including all rates, the Shared Solar rate is $0.109 per kWh.
 
The total impact to a bill will vary based on current rates, rate class, usage and participation level. Current participants are typically seeing a slight savings on their bills compared to when the program began when there was a slight increase due to a marginally higher rate for the Shared Solar electricity.

Each billing period, MGE will calculate how much of the solar electricity is allocated based on the total generation of the Shared Solar arrays. This is the Customer Solar Output. The electricity allocated from Shared Solar replaces that from our standard electricity mix and will be shown as CS-1 on your bill. The rest of the electricity is billed at the standard rate.

For our customers who are on a Time-of-Use rate, the solar energy supplied through Shared Solar will replace electricity in your time-of-use periods in proportion to your use in those periods. 

For example, if you use 30% of your total energy evenly across the three on-peak periods, your Customer Solar Output would be allocated at 10% for each of those periods (for a total of 30%). Also, 100% of your Customer Solar Output will be allocated to your base energy rate.

Standard residential electric customers and residential time-of-use customers were eligible to participate. 

Business customers who have an electric service meter on the Cg-3, Cg-4 or Cg-5 rate were eligible to participate. 

Waiting list participants will be notified on a first-come, first-served basis if a new array is built.

Yes! When participating in Shared Solar, MGE will automatically adjust your Green Power Tomorrow purchase to apply only to your electricity use that exceeds the amount of solar power produced by your Shared Solar purchase. 

Your Shared Solar participation will transfer to your new residential MGE electric account. Participation ends if you move outside of MGE's electric service area.

Yes. You can leave the program at any time. When you notify us, MGE will resume billing you for all your electricity use at the standard rate. The up-front participation fee is nonrefundable. 

If you move your business to a new location within MGE's electric service territory, your program participation may transfer to your new MGE electric account. MGE will work with you to determine if your shares are eligible for transfer. Participation ends if you move your business outside of MGE's electric service area. 

Based on program requirements, your participation would end. The up-front participation fee is nonrefundable. 

For customers who signed up for Shared Solar for up to half of their annual electric use but would like to power their business with 100% renewable energy, MGE also offers our Green Power Tomorrow (GPT) program. Subscribers to GPT pay one cent more than their standard per-kWh electric rate to support wind and solar resources in our region. 

Shared Solar participants reserve a share of the electricity generated by a solar array in our community. GPT participants support wind and solar resources feeding our grid from throughout the region. 

If your business has meters on Rate Schedules Cg-2 or Cg-6, then your business may be eligible for a Renewable Energy Rider (RER). Under the RER, MGE works with your business to develop a contract to serve all or a significant portion of the electric needs of your business with renewable generation. The customer is responsible for costs associated with sourcing the renewable generation and any distribution costs to deliver the energy to your business.