What and How We Do

The Solar Commons is an innovative plan to produce distributed, renewable energy in our public right of way, capturing the revenue stream from electricity sale as a community trust.

It was conceived in 2006 by Kathryn Milun (anthropologist) and Kirby Spitler (architect) as they sat on the bleachers at Gonzo Field in Tempe Arizona watching their sons play Little League baseball, listening to the hum of a million air conditioners, and wondering how Phoenix right of way could support a “public option” to green energy development.  What started as a thought experiment to find a more efficient and equitable way to grow solar energy in the urban southwest, has become the Solar Commons.

In developing the Solar Commons Demonstration Project, we have worked in close partnership with On the Commons, where Kathryn is a fellow. Mark Wilhelm, Principle of Green Ideas and green energy economist, gathered a research team with which we worked to produce the Solar Commons Business Plan.  
 
The Solar Commons remains a collaborative effort managed by Kathryn Milun and Kirby Spitler.  We seek to educate, design and build social institutions and renewable energy systems based on a set of commons principles that include:

  1. Affirm right of way as a tool to grow our commons sector
  2. Ensure that appropriate right of way is available for renewable energy development by civic sector, nonprofit organizations working for social equity
  3. Develop social institutions—renewable energy authorities in cities and solar commons trusts in communities—that enable successful Solar Commons development
  4. Encourage local community management of Solar Commons
  5. Educate the public about commons and commons management principles
  6. Employ innovative legal and financing tools to allow Solar Commons to flourish in the US
  7. Design efficient, beautiful, and educational Solar Commons for public urban space