Energy

1,800 Solar Customers Lost Their Bill Credits: What Homeowners Should Know A recent community solar issue left approximately 1,800 customers without expected electricity bill credits. The situation is a useful reminder that homeowners should understand who controls their solar savings and what can interrupt them. Watch the Original News Report The report below explains how community solar subscribers lost expected utility bill credits after the companies operating several projects failed to meet a state payment requirement. This story occurred in Maine. Solar programs, utility rules, billing practices, and incentives vary by state and utility provider. Editor’s note: This article discusses a community solar issue that occurred in Maine. It is provided for educational purposes and does not suggest the same issue is happening in Missouri or Kansas. Community solar programs are often promoted as an easy way to support renewable energy and lower monthly electricity costs without installing solar panels on your property. However, the situation covered in the video shows why customers should understand exactly how the program works, who operates the solar project, and what happens when the provider fails to meet its obligations. Approximately 1,800 community solar subscribers were notified that they would not receive their expected electricity bill credits after several project sponsors failed to pay a required state charge. The affected customers had not caused the problem. The interruption came from the companies operating the solar projects. What Happened to the Solar Customers? Community solar subscribers typically receive credits on their utility bills based on electricity generated by a shared solar project. In this case, some project sponsors failed to pay a charge required under Maine’s Net Energy Billing program. Because the projects were no longer in compliance, the utility company could not apply the subscribers’ solar credits. As a result, affected customers received higher electric bills than expected. The Important Takeaway Community solar savings can depend on the actions of the project owner, subscription provider, utility company, and state program administrator. A problem involving any one of those parties can affect the customer’s expected credits. How Community Solar Normally Works With community solar, customers subscribe to a portion of the electricity produced by a larger, off-site solar farm. The electricity does not usually travel directly from that solar farm to the subscriber’s home. Instead, the subscriber receives credits that reduce certain charges on the utility bill. Customers may also receive a separate invoice from the community solar provider. This arrangement can be useful for renters, apartment residents, and homeowners whose roofs are not suitable for solar panels. However, the savings may depend on several outside parties: The solar project owner The subscription company The utility provider State regulations Billing requirements and program fees Community Solar vs. Owning Your Solar System Community solar and residential rooftop solar both support renewable energy, but the customer experience and level of control are different. Subscription Model Community Solar The solar panels are installed at another location. A separate company owns or operates the project. Customers receive utility bill credits. Savings depend on the provider remaining in compliance. Customers may receive two monthly bills. The homeowner does not own the equipment. Property-Based System Residential Solar The panels generate electricity for your home. You can reduce electricity purchased from the utility. You can monitor your own system’s production. Savings are connected to your equipment. Battery storage may provide backup power. The system may support long-term energy independence. Utility rules and available incentives can still affect the financial benefits of a residential solar system. However, homeowners may have more direct visibility into and control over a system installed on their own property. Questions to Ask Before Joining a Community Solar Program Who owns and operates the solar project? The company selling the subscription may not be the same company that owns or manages the solar farm. How are my savings calculated? Ask whether the advertised discount applies to the total electric bill or only to certain energy charges. Will I receive a second monthly bill? Many customers continue receiving a utility bill and also receive a separate invoice from the solar provider. What happens if credits stop? The contract should explain what happens if the project is offline, sold, shut down, or removed from the state program. Can the provider change the price? Review whether subscription rates, fees, or discounts can change during the agreement. How do I cancel? Some agreements require advance notice or may continue billing for a period after cancellation is requested. Do unused credits expire? Depending on the program, unused credits may expire if they are not applied within a certain amount of time. Read the Entire Solar Agreement Solar agreements may include important information about pricing, billing, cancellation requirements, production estimates, warranties, and equipment ownership. Before signing, make sure you understand: Who is responsible for maintaining the system How savings are calculated Whether rates can increase What happens if the provider closes Whether the agreement transfers if you move How long the contract lasts Whether early cancellation fees apply A reputable solar contractor should explain the agreement clearly and answer your questions before asking you to make a commitment. Is Residential Solar a Better Option? Residential solar may provide more control than a community solar subscription, but every home and property is different. Your roof condition, roof direction, shade, electricity usage, utility rates, budget, and long-term plans should all be evaluated before a solar installation. The roof should also be inspected before solar panels are installed. Installing panels over an aging or damaged roofing system can create additional costs when the roof eventually needs replacement. Rooftop Solar Traditional solar panels designed around the home’s electricity use and available roof space. Tesla Solar Roof A roofing and solar solution that integrates energy-producing glass tiles into the roof. Tesla Powerwall Battery storage that can store solar energy and provide backup power during outages. EV Charging Home charging equipment that can work alongside solar and battery storage. Take Control of Your Home Energy The situation affecting community solar

Battery Storage Pilot: What We Learned After three years, Evergy’s Missouri Residential Battery Storage pilot program has wrapped up—with encouraging results. Launched in 2023 across 50 homes, this pilot gave us a real-world view of how home batteries can benefit customers and the grid. Smarter Energy Use Batteries charged during lower-cost periods and discharged during peak hours (4-8 pm), helping reduce strain on the grid. By the program’s final year, peak-time discharge increased 50% from year one, avoiding more than $11,000 in energy costs for program participants. Strong Results with Solar For homes with rooftop solar (about 30 participants), the benefits were even greater. By the final year, up to 88% of battery charging came from customers’ solar systems, storing midday energy production for use during times of high demand. Customer Savings Homes on time-based rate plans saw the biggest cost benefits, with average savings of 10-18%. Results varied by rate plan, offering insight into how future programs can deliver even more value. At the end of the program, participants were given the option of purchasing the battery system (or returning it), and almost 2/3 kept it, showing that customers saw real value in battery storage. Reliable Backup Power Batteries performed exceptionally well during outages, keeping essential equipment running in nearly every case. Customers agreed: 82% ranked backup performance as excellent. Looking Ahead The pilot also tested how batteries integrate with devices like smart thermostats and EV chargers, helping prepare for a more connected, flexible, and cleaner energy system. Why It Matters Home batteries can improve resilience, enable smarter energy use, support solar growth, and strengthen the grid. These learnings will help shape future programs for customers across Evergy’s service area. While the Missouri program has concluded, a similar pilot program is still running in Kansas. EVs at the Speedway Last month, Evergy gave business owners and fleet managers a firsthand look at electric fleet technology during the Behind the Wheel event at the Kansas Speedway. Participants rode in a range of electric vehicles (including a school bus and police vehicles) around the Kansas Speedway racetrack. Attendees also learned about the process of converting their fleet to electric and about EV charging rebates for businesses and municipalities. New Solar Generation Evergy is expanding solar energy capacity with the construction of a new solar array in Kansas. Sunflower Sky Solar Center, a 65 MW facility south of Altoona in Wilson County, Kan., is currently being built, with completion expected in 2027. In addition to this new location, Evergy currently operates the 10 MW array at Hawthorn power plant near Kansas City, Mo., the 1.2 MW solar facility near South Hutchinson, Kan., and the 3.1 MW array in Greenwood, Mo. Altogether, Evergy will have enough solar to power more than 16,000 homes annually with the sun’s energy. The City of Chanute recently teamed up with Evergy Energy Partners to bring a new solar facility online in spring 2026. The project delivers about 7.65 MW of locally generated renewable energy—enough to power more than 1,200 homes each year—while also helping the city manage rising energy costs and diversify its energy mix. Cooling Kansas City Excessively hot urban environments are linked to high energy usage, lower air quality, and adverse health outcomes. Evergy, along with local agencies, is exploring how simple mitigation tactics like planting trees, developing more green spaces, and using reflective roof coatings can help reduce ambient temperatures in economically disadvantaged urban areas. Evergy’s Urban Heat Island Cool Roofs program has so far coated 146,000 square feet of urban rooftops, mainly along the Independence Avenue corridor in Kansas City, Mo., with reflective, white materials, with additional projects underway. These “cool roofs” help reflect sunlight and absorb less heat, which keeps buildings cooler and reduces the need for air conditioning during the hottest months. Alongside ongoing green-space projects, the goal is to reduce neighborhood ambient temperatures compared to neighboring areas. Smart Thermostats and Energy Savings A smart thermostat is a powerful tool that can help you cut energy costs and stay comfortable in every season. You can schedule your home’s temperature from a smartphone while you are away, so your home will be the perfect temperature when you return. It’s easy to make seasonal adjustments. In the summer, keeping your thermostat 5–8 degrees warmer when no one is around can help you save energy. In the winter, keeping your thermostat 5–8 degrees cooler when you are away can have the same effect. Your thermostat can “learn” to automatically set heating and cooling schedules based on how you’ve used the thermostat over time. (Learning features vary by model.) If you have a compatible smart thermostat, enroll it in the Evergy Thermostat Program and earn a $100 reward. Don’t have a smart thermostat yet? Get a free or discounted one through Evergy. Interested in learning more about battery storage, solar energy, EV programs, and energy-saving incentives? For additional resources and program information visit the official Evergy website .