How community generation can work for you
Community generation facilities give customers access to renewable electricity produced by independent generators even if they cannot install their own system. Benefitting customers participate by subscribing to a community generation facility and receiving monetary credits on their BC Hydro bill. Benefitting customers do not receive electricity directly from the community generator and their shared generating facility. BC Hydro continues to supply all of their electricity as usual.
When the shared generating facility delivers more electricity to BC Hydro's system than it consumes during a billing period, benefitting customers will share in the financial value of that excess generation. This is measured at the meter to which the generating facility is connected. The amount the benefitting customer receives is based on a percentage of the excess generation agreed upon when they sign up.
Being a benefitting customer is ideal for renters, customers without suitable space, or anyone looking for a low‑cost way to benefit from additional renewable energy and reduce their electricity bills.
You can learn more about the details of the community generation service and the requirements for a community generator here.
Benefits
There are multiple benefits to subscribing to a community generation facility:
- Access renewable energy without installing your own generating equipment
- Receive monetary credits based on your subscription share
- Keep your existing BC Hydro electricity service and rate schedule
- Participate even if you rent or lack suitable space for solar
- Support local renewable energy initiatives within your community
- Enjoy a low-cost, low commitment way to benefit from independently generated renewable electricity
Choosing a community generator
There are different factors to take into consideration when choosing a community generator and shared generating facility to subscribe to:
- Look for a community generator with a reliable, well-maintained renewable energy system
- Choose a community generator with enough excess generation to support your subscription level
- Confirm the project is located within your eligible community or service area
- Customers of other utilities within B.C., such as FortisBC, are not eligible to be a community generator or benefitting customer
- Review the subscription fee and how credits are calculated
- Ensure the community generator provides transparent reporting on monthly credits
- Check that the generator has a stable list management process for benefitting customers
- Consider community generators with a strong track record in property management, energy projects, or community initiatives
- Select a project that aligns with your sustainability goals and budget
What to expect
As a benefitting customer, you begin by signing a benefitting customer authorization form from your chosen community generator to confirm your participation. After that, you'll subscribe to a community generation facility through the community generator. You'll continue to receive electricity from BC Hydro with no changes to your existing rate schedule.
You’ll pay a subscription fee based on the allocation you’ve agreed upon with your community generator, and in return, you may receive a monthly monetary credit on your BC Hydro bill representing your share of excess generation or receive excess generation credits directly from your community generator. If needed, you can adjust or end your subscription in accordance with the terms and conditions established by the community generator.
Credit distribution
Under the community generation rate (RS 2290), community generators can choose how monetary credits for excess generation are distributed to benefitting customers. How you receive your financial compensation for your subscription will depend on which option the community generator chooses.
Two options are available:
- BC Hydro's optional community generation credit billing service: BC Hydro will allocate the financial credits for excess generation directly to each benefitting customer's BC Hydro account.
- Community generator managed credit distribution: Alternatively, the community generator may choose to distribute credits to benefitting customers themselves. In this case, the community generator is responsible for calculating and issuing the credits based on each customer's subscription share.
See an example bill [PDF, 201 KB] when BC Hydro distributes credits.