(KXNET) — The U.S. Department of Energy announced several new solar energy investments to cut home electricity bills and reduce local pollution. But what will this solar push look like nationwide as well as here in North Dakota?

The Department of Energy is working with companies like Sunnova to provide property owners of all incomes and backgrounds with a chance to use solar energy and lower their energy bills.
Sunnova is specifically targeting communities in rural areas — like North Dakota — to provide customers with solar panels. Not only would these solar panels provide the energy that a family would need each and every month, the family would also be able to store the energy — allowing them to save it for later months or profit by selling it back into the grid.

“They’ll also give these homeowners access to software that enables them to sell back to the grid to be part of essentially a virtual power plant,” explained Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm. “These distributed energy resources — including smart thermostats, etc. — allow these families to have control.”

Before you can sell back solar power to the grid, you need to apply for what is called, “interconnection” with your local utility company. Your solar installer should be able to guide you through the interconnection process to make sure all parts meet safety and regulatory standards.