Green Energy Times: Solar Meets Community Ownership
by N.H. Community Loan Fund
on October 30, 2026
In July, Pine Gate Cooperative, a 34-home resident-owned manufactured-home community in Plymouth, N.H., completed a 92-kW AC ground-mounted, group net metered community solar array. The array was installed by Barrington Solar, LLC with funding from a New Hampshire Renewable Energy Fund grant for Low-Moderate Income Community Solar Projects.
More about ROCs
Resident-owned communities (ROCs) like Pine Gate are not-for-profit cooperatives where homeowners collectively own and govern their community with support from the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund’s ROC-NH program. Residents own their homes, while the cooperative owns and maintains the land, roads, water, sewer systems, and other shared infrastructure.
Each ROC is led by an elected board of directors responsible for managing the cooperative and planning for long-term infrastructure needs through careful budgeting and reserve savings. Members have a direct voice in decisions that affect their community, from major improvements to sustainability initiatives like community solar projects.
Today, New Hampshire is home to 156 ROCs, providing nearly 9,500 affordable homeownership opportunities. The state's first ROC was established in Meredith in 1983 and became a national model for preserving affordable homeownership through resident ownership.
Creating Solutions
When a lease on a portion of Pine Gate’s unused land ended, the board explored new ways to continue to generate revenue that could benefit the cooperative and its members. After exploring options, community solar was identified as a long-term opportunity. Following member discussion and careful evaluation, the cooperative voted to move forward with the project.
Tackling a complex project like community solar takes expertise. ROC-NH provides technical assistance and coaching to ROCs in NH. ROC-NH’s Energy Solutions team works with partners across the region to connect ROCs with the information and resources necessary to evaluate and implement beneficial energy solutions, such as community solar projects. The Vermont Law and Graduate School Energy Clinic also played a key role in moving this project along, assisting the cooperative with its grant application, selecting a contractor, project permitting, and providing project-related legal services. The Energy Clinic is staffed by a team of law and policy students under the supervision of a licensed attorney. At the Energy Clinic, students develop the knowledge and skill necessary to advise on all aspects of project development and go on to become skilled professionals in energy law and policy and play an important role in bringing these types of projects to scale over time and geography.
Funding the Future
The Pine Gate project is the fourth ROC community solar installation funded through the New Hampshire Renewable Energy Fund grants for Low- and Moderate-Income Community Solar Projects. Pine Gate was awarded a grant through a competitive process in 2024, following the successful installation of projects at the Mascoma Meadows Cooperative in Lebanon White Rock Cooperative in Tilton, and Pine Hill Cooperative in Conway. Two additional ROC community solar projects — one in Stratham and one in Northfield — are expected to be completed before summer 2027. The Renewable Energy Fund, which is administered by the N.H. Department of Energy, has been a vital tool in bringing innovative and cost-saving energy solutions to low-moderate income communities.
Generating Savings
The Pine Gate community solar project will bring cost savings to each participating household at the cooperative. The array is participating in the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative’s group net metering program and is expected to generate approximately 142,000 kWh annually, translating into gross net metering revenue of an estimated $16,000 per year. The net annual metering revenue will be allocated to participating households in the form of a monthly lot fee credit, directly reducing what residents pay each month, which is anticipated to be a $30-$40 saving per household per month after project related operating expenses and setting aside reserves for future inverter replacements.
Looking Ahead
With the array online and generating power and savings, Pine Gate Cooperative is the fourth ROC in NH to incorporate solar energy to make their community financially and energy resilient. These communities offer a model for how ROCs across NH and beyond can pursue solar energy in a way that directly benefits homeowners’ financial bottom line.
The ROC-NH program is focused on developing a multitier plan to help ROC residents navigate energy solutions that provide long-lasting economic benefits and increased health and comfort. In addition to supporting community solar projects, ROC-NH is working with stakeholders across New Hampshire to bring greater awareness to ROC households about opportunities for weatherization, energy efficiency, and heat pumps. Through these efforts, eligible ROC residents can access grants for energy audits and weatherization improvements that reduce energy use and make homes more comfortable.
“The ROC-NH team is committed to equipping ROC residents and their boards with tools and resources that keep creating more energy-efficient and resilient communities,” said Elise Foerster, energy project specialist for ROC-NH.