The American-Made Community Power Accelerator PrizeTM is a $10 million prize competition designed tofast-track the efforts of new, emerging, and expanding solar developers and co-developers to learn, participate, and grow their operations to support multiple successful community solar projects.
After a successful launch of the Community Power Accelerator Prize in early 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office is excited to open the prize for Round 2. Applicants who applied to Round 1 are encouraged to apply again in Round 2 with updated submission materials.
The goal of Round 2 remains the same as Round 1—grow a robust ecosystem of community solar project developers that incorporate meaningful benefits into projects across the United States.
Structured to Accelerate Community Solar Investments
Round 2 of this three-phase prize aims to increase the number of equitable community solar projects by providing funding and resources for developers and co-developers throughout the project pre-development process, including:
Tools and resources to connect developers with private sector project financing for community solar projects using a standardized process.
Training to understand the full cycle of community solar development, including site acquisition, community relations, customer acquisition, securing financing, costs, and the unique challenges and benefits of a community solar model.
Free consulting services to competitors on the steps necessary to get a community solar project financed.
Coaching on expanding developers’ solar customer markets to include low- and moderate-income populations, disadvantaged communities, and local workforce development, as well as increase resilience to power outages and household savings to make community solar projects attractive to the widest range of customers possible.
By the end of the prize, competitors will be ready to engage with the Community Power Accelerator online platform, which provides a place for competitors to shop their credit-ready projects around to verified project developers, investors, and philanthropic organizations.
Informational Webinars
On Aug. 1 and Sept. 19, prize administrators will hold informational webinars on the Community Power Accelerator Prize.During the webinar, we’ll provide participants with an overview of the prize, submission requirements, scoring criteria, and winner selection process. Prize administrators will also answer audience questions.
One of the key goals of the Community Power Accelerator Prize is to support and grow a robust ecosystem of community solar project developers that incorporate meaningful benefits into projects across the United States. These benefits provided by community solar subscriptions can build consumer trust and ensure that everyone can participate in the clean energy transition.
The Community Power Accelerator Prize provides funding and resources to empower developers to deploy community solar projects that provide at least two of the following five meaningful benefits to subscribers and their communities:
Low- to moderate-income (LMI) household access
Greater household savings
Resilience and grid benefits
Community ownership
Equitable workforce development
Powering Change Beyond the Prize
This prize is part of the larger Community Power Accelerator program, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy National Community Solar Partnership. It brings together investors, philanthropic organizations, developers, community-based organizations, and technical experts in one online ecosystem to accelerate the deployment of the funds needed to drive a more equitable clean energy transition.
The Community Power Accelerator online platform will create a pipeline of credit-ready community solar projects—particularly those that provide benefits to underserved communities—and connect them with mission-aligned investors and philanthropic organizations to get funding.
The prize supports this initiative by providing funding and resources to stand up or expand community solar project development practices and develop a pipeline of multiple projects for new community solar project developers.
Who Can Compete?
Round 2 of the Community Power Accelerator Prize is open to U.S. community solar developers, including new developers, co-developers (organizations who are partnering with a project developer), or developers who are expanding their community solar operations.
The prize encourages organizations who are new to community solar development to apply to this prize, including (but are not limited to):
Community-based organizations (such as local community health organizations, community action agencies, community, and economic development organizations etc.) that have real estate portfolios and/or are in construction
Multifamily affordable housing providers
State, local, and municipal governments
Intermediary organizations such as community development financial institutions (CDFIs)
General contractors with roofing and/or electrical experience
Socially and economically disadvantaged individual (SEDI) demographics-related business and women and minority-owned businesses.
Other large real estate holders that could be available for solar deployment
Solar co-developers
Guidelines
Please review the Official Rules for the complete application process and instructions for competing.
If you want to receive updates on the prize or have any questions, please subscribe by using the contact feature on the HeroX platform or message us directly at .
The American-Made Community Power Accelerator Prize is directed and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. Learn more.
Don’t forget TOMORROW, Oct. 4, by 5 p.m. ET, is the deadline to submit your Community Power Accelerator Prize Round 2 application. The prize administrators highly recommend uploading your submission as earlyas possible to avoid connectivity issues or upload delays.
Don’t forget the deadline to submit your Community Power Accelerator Prize Round 2 application is next Wednesday, Oct. 4, by 5 p.m. ET. The prize administrators highly recommend uploading your submission as earlyas possible to avoid connectivity issues or upload delays.
Here’s a quick reminder of what you need to submit:
Evidence of completion of Introduction to Community Solar course
Qualitative narrative
Letters of support (optional).
Introduction to Community Solar Course
The Introduction to Community Solar Course is intended to help teams understand how community solar developers can build projects that include the Five Meaningful Benefits. The course is approximately 3–4 hours (including videos, reading assignments, quizzes, and self-assessment). You can go at your own pace and start and stop as you wish. Register for the course online here.
At least one member of the lead organization must complete the Introduction to Community Solar Course and submit to HeroX the email they used to register for the course as well as the date of completion as evidence.
Organizations who have already completed and passed the Introduction to Community Solar course within the past year will not be required to retake the course for Phase 1. However, they will be required to provide the email used to register for the course as well as the date of completion. Find more details about this course in the Official Rules Section 5.5.
Resource Recap
Find more information related to unanswered questions from the webinar Q&A’s in this spreadsheet or use the Forum Tab to ask your own questions. A prize administrator will publicly respond to your question there.
Fill out a teaming form (through prize Power Connector ADL Ventures) if you’re interested in teaming up with a solar developer or community-based organization.
Read the Official Rules before submitting your application by Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. ET.
Questions about Round 2 of the Community Power Accelerator Prize? Watch a recording of the first or second Informational Webinar at any time. The slides and information covered during each webinar is the same, but the questions asked during the live Q&A are unique.
During the webinar, prize administrators gave an overview of the prize, including:
Key milestones
Prize eligibility
Submission requirements
How to navigate HeroX.
This information, and more, can be found in the Official Rules document. We highly recommend reading the rules in their entirety before uploading a submission.
Resource Reminders
Find more information related to unanswered questions from the webinar Q&A’s in this spreadsheet or use the Forum Tab to ask your own questions. A prize administrator will publicly respond to your question there.
Fill out a teaming form (through prize Power Connector ADL Ventures) if you’re interested in teaming up with a solar developer or community-based organization.
Read the Official Rules before submitting your application by Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. ET.
Interested in learning more about Round 2 of the Community Power Accelerator Prize? Join us next Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 3 p.m. ET for the next Informational Webinar.
During the webinar, interested applicants will hear about competitor eligibility, submission requirements, and key dates. Plus, there will be a Q&A session at the end of the webinar where participants can get live answers from prize administrators. Register here to join!
Can’t make the webinar? We’ve got you covered! Find the webinar slides and recording from the Aug. Informational Webinar in the FAQ tab and look out for the Sept. webinar recording about a week after the event.
Make sure you’re following the Community Power Accelerator Prize Round 2 HeroX page to receive an email notification when the recording is published.
Don’t forget, all Community Power Accelerator Prize Round 2 applications are due by Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. ET.
Don’t miss your next opportunity to learn more from ADL Ventures about Round 2 of the $10 million Community Power Accelerator Prize, including tips on how to build a strong team and create a submission with strong potential.
Register here for the Team Concept Development Strategy (with Virtual Networking Session) on Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. ET. Can’t attend this session? Applicants interested in teaming up with an existing developer or a community-based organization can also participate in ADL’s teaming platform. Fill out this form to get started.
As a reminder, Community Power Accelerator Prize Round 2 submissions are due by Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. ET.
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