A solar co-op is a group of neighbors who team up to learn together and support each other throughout the process of going solar. It’s free to join, member-driven, and designed to make the process of installing residential solar easier and more affordable. Co-op members receive support before, during, and after installing solar and have access to SUN’s unbiased resources and expert staff.
Co-op members work as a group to collect bids from local installers and select one installer to serve the co-op. Each household then receives a personalized proposal from the chosen installer and can decide individually whether to move forward — there’s no obligation to install. Typically, having more people sign up to join a co-op leads to higher savings offered through the group’s chosen installer. Ultimately, co-ops help people get the best price for reputable, quality equipment, and to feel confident along the way!
Through the co-op model, SUN has helped over 11,000 families go solar. Now, through the Neighbors Co-op program, we are expanding our reach by empowering community members to lead their own solar co-ops.
Leading a Neighbors Co-op is a meaningful way to help your community go solar with confidence and save money. As a Co-op Lead, you’ll host info sessions, recruit members, track participation, coordinate with installers, and guide the co-op process — with support from SUN every step of the way. The commitment is not small, but you’ll reap the benefits through lower electricity bills for you and your fellow co-op members!
We’re looking for volunteers who can commit the necessary time and energy to make their Neighbors Co-op successful by stepping into the role of Co-op Lead. Co-op Leads can expect to spend several hours per month over the course of 6-10 months in this role.
Co-op Leads will be paired with a SUN coach. Your coach will be your 1-1 point of contact and will be available through email, phone, and scheduled meetings to provide guidance and troubleshoot any issues you’re having.
Volunteers who are interested in starting their own co-op will join an info session, then fill out a registration form indicating they’re ready to get started. Once vetted and accepted into the program, Co-op Leads will receive resources and training to guide them through the process of leading a solar co-op in their area.
To support Co-op Leads through the process of running their co-ops, SUN is organizing cohorts. Cohorts are groups of vetted Co-op Leads across the country who are all starting a Neighbors Co-op at the same time. Cohorts will meet regularly to receive training from SUN, move through the co-op process together, share learnings, and support each other along the way. Co-op Leads are strongly encouraged to participate in a cohort to benefit from this peer learning opportunity.
The cohort program runs for about six months, providing step by step guidance for leading a Neighbors Co-op. Participants can expect to spend 3-4 hours in live, virtual meetings each month for 6 months. Co-op Leads should also be prepared to spend several hours per month working in their community to implement their co-op. In the first 2 months, cohorts will meet twice per month. In months 3-6, cohorts will meet once per month with additional, optional office hours. These meetings will train you on the necessary knowledge and skills to lead a successful solar co-op.
Communicate proactively with your coach to regularly share what stage your co-op is at, ask for additional support if needed, and let them know if you run into any challenges during co-op implementation.
Be responsive to messages or requests from SUN staff within a reasonable time frame.
Agree to and practice SUN’s values during cohort meetings and when representing SUN in your community.
Use the required platforms for communicating and tracking data including Slack and Daisychain. You will be trained on how to set up and use these platforms.
Spend time each week implementing your co-op using the skills and resources learned in training. This includes:
Recruiting community members to join your solar co-op by talking with neighbors, hanging flyers, posting on neighborhood social media pages, making phone calls, tabling at events, and more.
Soliciting installer bids from at least 3 installers in your area.
Guiding your group through a decision making process to compare installer bids and choose 1 installer to service your area.
Checking in with your co-op members and reporting all data back to SUN.
*Co-op Leads who participate in a cohort will also
Attend all cohort meetings for the entire 6 month duration. Required meetings will take place biweekly in months 1-2 and once per month in months 3-6. Optional office hours will be offered periodically.
Communicate proactively with your cohort manager if you ever need to miss a cohort meeting.
Interact with and share lessons learned with fellow cohort members.
SUN has been running solar co-ops since our founding nearly 20 years ago. We will be by your side every step of the way lending our experience and guidance!
To support your Neighbors Co-op, SUN will:
Offer live, virtual, training sessions to all Co-op Leads participating in our cohorts.
Invite Co-op Leads to periodic, virtual office hours where you can receive additional support.
Provide a SUN coach to answer questions and check in periodically with you.
Provide reference materials, flyers, training curriculum and support throughout the process.
Respond in a timely manner to all questions and concerns from Co-op Leads.
Connect you with other Co-op Leads through our Slack community, and our cohort program.
Invite all Neighbors Co-op Members to periodic, virtual office hours for direct support from SUN.
Listen to and incorporate your feedback to constantly improve the program.
Sign our agreement form stating you understand and will abide by program expectations.
Get connected
Get set up on SUN’s communication platforms and other program tools and join a cohort (optional but strongly encouraged). We will send you instructions once you’ve been accepted as a Co-op Lead.
Lead your solar co-op
Recruit your neighbors to join, choose an installer, have rooftop solar installed and enjoy lower electricity bills in your community! Your SUN coach will be by your side every step of the way.
Once you’re vetted and set up to start your Neighbors Co-op, here’s what you can expect to learn and do:
SUN will provide training and resources on what organizing is and how to perform effective outreach, including through partnerships with local organizations or other groups. SUN will provide a form on our website for your neighbors to sign up and join your co-op.
You will think through the goals for your co-op and start recruiting people to join your co-op through talking to your neighbors, posting on local neighborhood social media groups, making phone calls, hanging flyers, and more.
SUN will provide training and resources on solar technology and financing options for rooftop solar. We’ll also teach you how to use Daisychain, our data tracking tool. Finally, we’ll support you to hold local events to teach your neighbors about solar and continue recruiting more co-op members.
You’ll start tracking your co-op data through a platform called Daisychain. You’ll also educate your group members about solar energy using everything we’ve taught you as well as the templates and resources we provide to you which can be widely shared. This will likely include you hosting small educational events such as solar 101s or solar happy hours to learn together as a group.
SUN will provide training and resources on soliciting bids from installers and consumer protection within the solar industry. SUN will also provide template materials you can use when reaching out to installers.
You will get completed bids from at least 3 solar installers in your local area. At this point, you will have amassed many of your neighbors/community members to join your co-op. You can start encouraging your co-op members to step into roles to support you such as helping to recruit even more members or helping you determine which installer to move forward with.
SUN will provide training and resources on how to choose an installer and how to facilitate a group decision making meeting allowing some of your co-op members to help you make this choice. Please note, SUN is a vendor neutral organization meaning we cannot and will not choose an installer for you or your group. We will give you the knowledge and skills to help you make an informed decision for yourself and your group. The resources we will provide you include an installer RFP (request for proposals), bid evaluation template, and an installer MOU (memorandum of understanding).
You will convene co-op group members to meet and select 1 installer to service your co-op area. In agreement with the chosen installer, you will confirm your co-ops’ sign up deadline and a deadline to sign individual contracts. You will communicate this decision to all of your co-op members.
SUN will provide training and resources on how to read individual contracts and guidance on effective ways to check in with your co-op members to keep track of what stage of installation they are at.
You will sign your own contract to have solar installed (if you don’t already have solar). You will also support your members in signing their contracts by serving as a liaison between them and the chosen installer as needed. This may include hosting casual gatherings for co-op members to come together and discuss their contracts or ask each other questions. You will also continue tracking data to keep track of what stage each of your co-op members are at.
SUN will provide training and resources on what to expect after your solar is installed. We’ll also offer additional ways for you, and your members, to stay involved with SUN following your installations.
You will host a co-op gathering celebrating your group’s journey and installations and continue tracking data through the final installation for your group.
We encourage you to participate in a cohort for the most effective training and support, both from SUN staff and peer learning from other cohort members. However, we realize the cohort model is not right for every person or every group. If you’d like to lead a co-op outside of the cohort model, please reach out to getinvolved@solarunitedneighbors.org and we will connect with you about next steps and other support we can offer you.
Yes, you and another neighbor may be Co-Leads for your Neighbors Co-op. If desired, you may both join the same cohort and work together to implement each step of the process. Depending on the size of your area, having Co-Leads is encouraged!
Yes, if you have already installed solar on your home and would like to support your neighbors to also do so, you may lead a co-op. Having already gone through the solar process yourself will make you a valuable resource for your neighbors. However, In this case, you must agree to go through the recommended installer solicitation and selection process and not just assume the installer who serviced your home will be chosen for the group.
There is no expected minimum for how many people sign up or install solar through your co-op. However, the more people you get to sign up, the bigger the discount is likely to be from your chosen installer. In traditional SUN co-ops, we typically see a 30% close rate, meaning 30% of the people who join a co-op ultimately end up signing a contract and having solar installed on their home.
Neighbors Co-ops are currently only open to residential homeowners as the process of installing solar on a business, church, or other organization has different timelines and technical considerations. SUN does offer support for helping local buildings go solar through other programs and resources! To learn more contact us at helpdesk@solarunitedneighbors.org.
Yes, almost all solar installers also offer services for battery storage and electric vehicle (EV) chargers. During the Neighbors Co-op process, you will solicit information from multiple installers and, alongside your co-op members, choose which installer to service your area. If battery storage and/or EV chargers are important to you and your co-op members, be sure to talk to installers about this and include batteries and EV chargers as important decision making criteria in the installer selection process. SUN can also share battery and EV information and resources with you as guidance.
The more people you get to sign-up and join your co-op, the more likely the group is to see larger discounts through their installer. Savings will vary based on geography, group size, and other factors. In addition, when you and your co-op members are selecting which installer to choose, you may find other factors such as equipment quality and installer reputation to be just as important as any discounts offered by the installer. Going solar through a co-op also provides value more than just dollars saved. Co-ops offer support for members before, during and after going solar. By working with SUN through a Neighbors Co-op, you and your members will have access to our unbiased, vendor-neutral resources and direct support from our team of technical experts.
Co-ops will use our official name – {City/Town/Neighborhood Name} Neighbors Co-op, Powered by SUN. Having run co-ops for many years, SUN has built a strong reputation with installers, and using our brand allows Neighbors Co-ops to bring that reputation into their bid process. Using our brand also gives you access to template materials such as flyers and graphics that are professionally created and associated with SUN. However, we also understand this is your co-op and want you to be creative. In cases where using the ‘Neighbors Co-op, Powered by SUN’ brand name is not right for your group, please reach out to us at getinvolved@solarunitedneighbors.org. Exceptions to using the brand can be made through SUN’s Marketing and Communications team.
The 6-10 month timeline for co-op implementation is an estimate based on previous experience from SUN co-ops. We will provide the training and resources outlined in the monthly schedule for the first 6 months and will remain available for support in following months as needed. We understand that implementing each step of the co-op process may happen on different timelines for each co-op group. This is to be expected. We are asking Co-op Leads to be able to commit to the entire process, up to 10 months, to fully lead their members and implement their co-op.
