Enrollment Questions
What is a Solar Lease Addendum? Why do I need to sign it?
The Solar Lease Addendum is part of your Lease Agreement and governs your participation in your community’s solar program. In addition, it legally allows your property owner to manage your electric utility account on your behalf to provide you with an accurate, consumer-friendly solar billing experience.
Once I enroll and sign the Solar Lease Addendum, what should I expect next?
After signing the Solar Lease Addendum, keep an eye out for a welcome email from Ivy Energy. This email will confirm your enrollment in the solar program and provide you with more information and the next steps on your solar journey.
There is nothing else you need to do after signing the Solar Lease Addendum except to pay your Ivy Solar bill along with your rent when it’s due!
Will I still receive electricity bills from my utility company after enrolling with Ivy?
It depends on your community’s billing setup:
- If your community has a consolidated billing service, then no. Once your community goes live with solar, your Ivy Solar Bill will replace any previous method of billing for your electric consumption. This is because your electric utility account will be managed by your landlord on your behalf.
- If your community has dual billing service, then yes. You will still be responsible for paying an electric bill directly to your utility for non-solar energy use. Since solar panels only produce electricity when the sun is shining, you will use some electricity from the grid that must be paid to the utility.
- If your community has master meter billing service, then no. Because your community is sub metered by the property owner, your Ivy Solar Bill will be your only electricity bill for your meter’s share of the community’s electric consumption.
Billing Questions
How do I pay my Ivy Solar Bill?
Wherever you pay your rent is where you will now pay your Ivy Solar Bill. It will be a separate line item in your rent portal unless otherwise noted on your lease agreement.
Please note: You will never pay Ivy Energy directly, all Ivy Solar Bill payments are done through your Property Management where you pay your rent.
Will I still receive a gas utility bill once participating in Ivy’s program? Who do I pay this to?
If you have an in-unit gas service, you will continue to pay a gas utility charge for your unit. Depending on your lease agreement this may be billed directly from your utility company or it may be billed through your property manager and paid through your rent ledger. Please check your lease agreement for details.
How will I get charged for electricity once solar is live at my community?
If your community has consolidated billing: Once your community goes live with solar, your Ivy Solar Bill will replace any previous method of billing for your electric consumption. These electric charges will appear in your rent ledger, where they can be paid along with your rent to your property manager.
If your community has dual billing service: Once your community goes live with solar, you will still be responsible for paying an electric bill directly to your utility for non-solar energy use. Since solar panels only produce electricity when the sun is shining, you will use some electricity from the grid that must be paid to the utility separately from your Ivy Solar Bill.
Ivy monitors all electric consumption based on your utility rates and usage of both live solar and grid electricity. Each month, you will receive your Ivy Solar Bill, breaking down:
- What You Would Have Paid Without Solar
- Live Solar & Solar Credit Usage
- Utility Passthrough Costs
- Your Community Savings
- What You Owe
Utility Questions
Is it possible to change the utility rate used on my Ivy Solar Bill?
Yes, you may request to change the utility rate referenced in your Ivy Solar Bill as long as the electrical service for your unit meets the utility company's criteria for that rate. If you would like to request a change to your utility rate, please submit a ticket through our support page: ivy-energy.com/support
What if I'm enrolled in a special rate program like CARE, FERA, or Medical Baseline?
If you're part of a special rate program, feel free to get in touch with us to make sure your Ivy Solar Bill is appropriately calculated based on your qualifying special rate. You will need to provide a copy of your utility bill for us to verify your special rate. If you would like to inquire about your utility special rate, please submit a ticket through our support page: ivy-energy.com/support and we'll make sure everything's in order!
How can I be confident that my cost for “what I would have paid without solar” is accurately calculated in my Ivy Solar Bill?
”What you would have paid without solar” (if you only used grid energy and not solar) is your gross bill before solar savings. This is calculated based on the total kilowatt-hours you used and your public utility rate schedule. Utility rates are required to be posted publicly, and all Ivy Solar Bills use these rates directly from the utility company. According to the utility rate listed on your Ivy Solar Bill, you can expect your gross bill to always be accurate, assuming the public rates and the metered consumption data provided by the utility company are accurate. Please visit the utility company’s website to see available rate schedules in more detail.
Why does Ivy need access to my utility data?
The first step to calculate your Ivy Solar Bill involves the total utility cost you would have paid without solar power, considering the total kilowatt-hours you used and your actual utility rate. This data comes from the utility company. Without access to your meter, Ivy cannot complete your enrollment in the solar program since we require this data to generate your monthly Ivy Solar Bill.
Will my utility data be shared with any other companies?
No, your utility billing and consumption data will be kept private and will not be shared with any company outside of Ivy Energy or your property management. Ivy also complies with the privacy terms in your lease agreement.
Solar Questions
Am I responsible for buying and taking care of the solar panels?
No, the solar panels are owned and maintained by the owner of your building.
What happens if the solar panels aren't generating energy? Will I lose my electricity?
Rest assured, you’ll always have electricity whether or not the solar system generates power. Your building is connected to the grid, meaning that even when your community's solar system is not producing power, you will continue to receive uninterrupted energy directly from the local utility company.
If a power outage occurs in my area, what happens? Will I be notified?
If there's a power outage in your area, the first step is to check your utility's website for updates on the outage and estimated restoration times. If you can't find information about the outage on the utility's website, you have the option to report it to them directly. In cases where the outage isn't caused by your utility, your property manager should be your point of contact for resolution.
Please note: Ivy has no control or support for a power outage. Your community’s electricity is still grid-tied, so any power outages are handled by the utility company.
Do the solar panels provide me with electricity when the grid doesn’t during these outages?
No. In most cases, your community's solar system won't supply electricity during such outages. This measure is in place to prevent excess power from flowing into the grid while utility workers address the issue. However, it's worth noting that some solar systems are equipped with battery storage, specifically designed to disconnect from the grid during outages. These systems can offer limited backup power.
How much will solar be offsetting in the winter compared to the summer?
The winter season brings about some considerations regarding solar energy production. In the winter, your community's solar system will continue to generate power, although at a lower rate compared to the summer months. Several factors influence winter production, including your location, cloud cover, and the orientation and angle of the solar panels. If you're located farther north, you'll experience less daylight, which affects production.
Can I receive the solar credits instantly at night when solar is not available?
The solar energy in your community is accounted for in two ways: live solar and solar credits.
Live solar represents electricity you consume directly from your solar panels. It is available when the system is actively producing electricity, providing a 1-to-1 offset of your consumption.
Depending on your building and lease agreement, if your solar system generates more power than you're using, the surplus is stored as solar credits. These credits are applied to reduce your grid consumption. Keep in mind that utility service charges apply to solar credits, unlike live solar, so they don't offset 100% of your cost per kilowatt hour. However, they can be applied against nighttime consumption if available, contributing to your savings.
Account Questions
Can I opt out of the solar program?
Benefiting from solar power is your choice. You have the right to cancel if you no longer wish to receive the benefits of solar. Any balance owed up to your cancellation effective date will still be your obligation to pay. Please contact our support team at ivy-energy.com/support so we can process your account deactivation.
Who do I contact if I have questions about my Ivy account?
You can contact our Ivy support team if you have questions about billing, account information, or other general questions by visiting our support page: ivy-energy.com/support.
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