With constant news reports about the threat climate change poses to a livable future, you might be wondering what you can do to join the fight against climate change. Using less energy or buying an electric car are options we’re all familiar with to reduce your impact on the planet, but one idea you might not have considered could have a much larger effect: Getting your community on a microgrid.

A microgrid, generally speaking, is an area that’s removed itself from the traditional power grid and is powered solely using renewable energy. That could mean a few houses, a whole neighborhood or maybe even a town. Towns like Gonzales, California and Panton, Vermont are starting their own microgrids. Instead of using energy that may be generated through burning fossil fuels, microgrids derive their power from solar panels, wind power and other renewable energy sources.

“We used to think that microgrids were off-grid, rural areas, but increasingly they’re urban areas, cities,” Kammen says. “Solar is certainly the most common just because it’s so easy. With solar and batteries you can do basically everything a utility does.”

Kammen notes that renewable energy has gotten a lot cheaper over the past decade or so, which means it’s more affordable than ever to get your community on a microgrid. The cost of solar power, for instance, has decreased by over 80 percent since 2010. If you want to get your community on a microgrid, you can simply contact a solar energy contractor like Tesla or Sunrun to get things set up.

Keep reading on popsci.com