Solar Simplified presents community-solar option to Verona residents, citing a 45% credit on bill charges

Sustainable Verona hosted a presentation on community solar where Solar Simplified described a subscription model that routes solar credits to customers’ utility bills without installing panels at their homes.

Sasha Luceno, vice president of sales and marketing at Solar Simplified, said Verona residents can join without upfront cost or equipment and will remain customers of their existing utility. “You stay with the same utility, you still receive the same service,” Luceno said, adding that subscribers receive solar credits on their bill at a “guaranteed 45% discount.”

The presentation explained how the program operates: local solar projects feed energy into the utility grid, and participating customers receive a share of the project’s credits based on their 12-month usage. Luceno illustrated the accounting with an example: $100 worth of solar credits billed at $55, leaving a $45 discount applied to the resident’s bill.

Luceno said any active utility account holder in the supported territories can enroll, including renters and homeowners, and that there are no credit checks. He referenced New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) rules requiring that at least 51% of project capacity be reserved for income-qualified customers, meaning eligible low- and moderate-income households are prioritized for those slots.

To enroll, Luceno said applicants need their electric bill (to provide the account number) and, if claiming income-qualified status, documentation (for example SNAP, HEAP, HUD, Medicaid or Section 8). He described the enrollment flow as an online form or phone assistance: solarimplified.com/verona or 888-420-9831, with verification steps that include contact information, service address confirmation and optional uploads of assistance documents.

During a question-and-answer period, attendees asked whether the 45% discount could change after enrollment; Luceno replied the discount is fixed for the duration of a subscription and cannot be altered once a customer is enrolled. Residents also asked about utility coverage; Luceno confirmed the program serves PSE&G territory and said Solar Simplified also operates in Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) territory where, he said, the current discount offering is lower (he cited about 35%).

Responding to a question from a resident in a high-rise building that pays a master electric bill, Luceno said master-metered accounts typically are not eligible; the program requires individual residential accounts in customers’ names, though he offered to review specific bills and follow up.

Carrie Bass, chair of Sustainable Verona, introduced the presentation and said the group has been holding information sessions to increase awareness. Solar Simplified offered to provide printed flyers with contact information and to send staff to a future meeting to help residents enroll in person.

No motions or votes were held at the meeting; the session closed after follow-up arrangements and contact details were shared.