What’s the Difference Between a Connected Microgrid and Community Solar?

As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to take the lead in how you manage your company’s energy consumption. Catalyst Power offers two solar solutions among our extensive range of eco-friendly services and products that will help you balance your sustainability and financial goals. As your energy service provider (or your potential energy provider with an awesome online portal where you can get a custom quote), it’s in our best interest to ensure you choose the product that is best for you and your business in the short and long term. When considering your new energy strategy, we work with you to identify what you need and select the best energy option for you. Below, we break down what separates two of our popular solar solutions, our Connected Microgrid ® solution and our Community Solar program subscription. 

Connected Microgrid: Behind-the-Meter On-Site Solar 

The benefit of microgrids is that they are a self-sufficient system that brings distributed energy to its customers, protecting them from future grid failures. They’re a smaller, more sustainable version of the main grid. The major difference between our Connected Microgrid and our Community Solar program is that the Connected Microgrid is on-site solar with an optional natural gas backup generator and/or electric battery storage.  

Catalyst Power installs a custom-sized modular solar panel array on your property at no cost to you and we sell the power it produces back to you at a lower, more reliable price. There’s no additional labor or hidden fees on your part either—we build, own, and operate the microgrid for you. Because of this, our Connected Microgrid is best suited for businesses that own their buildings, or who have a long-term lease for their space, and don’t want to be in the additional business of owning a commercial solar array. 

The “connected” part of the Connected Microgrid means that your business won’t be islanded apart from the grid, rather the new solar array shaves your costly energy peaks, saving you money. It solves many of the reliability and environmental issues of the larger grid by decreasing your business’s carbon footprint. It also provides increased customer control and access through a fixed-rate power purchase agreement. Connected Microgrids are resilient power sources for commercial businesses in times of crisis and beyond.  

Community Solar: Off-Site Solar 

Catalyst Power’s Community Solar subscription works like this—we assign you to a local solar farm in your area (not on your property) and once the solar array goes live, a discount is applied to your monthly utility bill, typically up to10%. We think that's a clear win-win for everyone involved! There are no catches or hidden fees. There’s no downside to a Community Solar subscription, except you can’t subscribe to more than one. Bummer. As always, Catalyst Power subscriptions come at no cost to you.

If you like free discounts on your utility bill, Catalyst Power’s Community Solar subscription is a great option for your business.  

Either Way You Go, We’re Here for You. 

We’re here to help you solve your business’s financial and sustainability goals using your energy decisions. You can’t lose with any of our products, but it matters what you choose when considering what aligns with those goals. When you decide to make a difference in the way you do business, it goes a long way for yourself and the environment. So, are you ready to find out what’s the best energy solution for you? Contact us today!