Community solar 'farms' aren't always located on real farms, but this one sure is! By leasing unused land from a local farmer, this community solar project will provide passive income to help the long-standing and family-owned farm sustain the rest of its operations. Since the farmland was already cleared of trees, we also are able to avoid any deforestation in the process. Instead, the project actually involved planting native trees as a visual barrier around the farm and native pollinator species throughout the farm to ensure that it's a safe habitat to support the pollinators we depend on for food.

The panels on this site use solar-tracking technology to follow the sun’s path during the day, allowing them to maximize the energy generated and increase their resiliency in the face of extreme weather.  Additionally, the solar farm holds a well-maintained pollinator-friendly habitat, and an additional 4-acres of native plants and trees have been planted around its perimeter. 

How does your community solar farm benefit the local community?

• Dozens of green jobs are created, many of which have staying power due to the long construction period and varied skillsets required.
• Howard County has made a commitment to foster pollinator habitats in the County, and this project will introduce a 20-acre+ pollinator habitat, which has tangible environmental and agricultural benefits.
• The solar project pays substantial tax revenue to the County without requiring any additional services or costs to the County.
• Thanks to the support of subscribers, this community solar farm will prevent the equivalent of nearly 70,000 metric tons of CO2 over the course of its lifetime.
• You and your neighbors get to save 10% on electricity bills while helping transition your community away from fossil fuels.

What's new in the Neighborhood?

The Friendship Community Solar farm will be providing clean, local solar energy to over 570 residential homes and small businesses in the Baltimore Gas & Electric utility territory.

April, 2022

Friendship Community Solar Farm's construction has officially been completed, and it is now connected to the local grid through BGE. Subscribers can expect Friendship to start generating renewable energy on their behalf next month, so you'll start seeing a reduced BGE bill and discounted credits on your Neighborhood Sun bill in May or June, depending on your billing cycle. Once those credits appear, you can expect to save 10% on the energy generated by your community solar share each month.

May, 2022:

With the help of the project's developer, our team coordinated a visit to Friendship Community Solar Farm for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay's Citizens Advisory Committee to ask questions about the environmental and social impacts of the community solar farm as it was being constructed. Check out the video we recorded at Friendship (despite the rain) to learn more about how the solar panels work and other features of the farm. Wait until the end for some bloopers!