California residence house owners and managers who present housing for low-income residents can now entry main price financial savings on vitality storage methods by means of the state’s Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) Program.
The new incentive offering makes it extra reasonably priced for eligible properties to pair storage with photo voltaic vitality methods, boosting vitality resilience for residents whereas decreasing long-term electrical energy prices. Vitality storage methods have to be paired with new SOMAH photo voltaic installations.
Incentives can cowl as much as 100% of eligible storage undertaking prices, relying on system dimension and tenant profit. Funding is accessible for methods designed to serve tenant items, frequent areas or each, so long as the bulk advantages tenant items. By capturing extra photo voltaic vitality, storage can cut back utility payments, present backup energy throughout outages and assist California’s transition to scrub, resilient vitality.
“Throughout a deliberate energy outage or an emergency, vitality storage can preserve the lights on, the fridge chilly and cell telephones charged,” mentioned Anna Taleysnik-Mehta, SOMAH senior undertaking supervisor on the Middle for Sustainable Vitality. “It’s additionally a wise strategy to handle your property’s vitality prices through the use of saved solar energy through the hours when electrical energy costs are highest.”
Practically $184 million has been allotted statewide for vitality storage incentives over the following seven years. To qualify, properties should meet current SOMAH eligibility necessities, together with serving deed-restricted low-income households and being in a utility territory served by Pacific Gasoline & Electrical, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gasoline & Electrical, Liberty Utilities or PacifiCorp.
Different current adjustments to the SOMAH Program embrace expanded funding for roof repairs wanted to put in photo voltaic and streamlined approval and cost processes in areas with low program participation.
A program of the California Public Utilities Fee, SOMAH delivers clear photo voltaic vitality and month-to-month utility invoice credit to a whole lot of 1000’s of low-income residents that in any other case wouldn’t have entry to renewable vitality for his or her properties.
Since its launch in 2019, SOMAH has awarded and reserved greater than $240 million in incentives to assist over 100 MW of photo voltaic capability serving greater than 59,000 tenant households throughout the state. It’s the largest low-income photo voltaic program within the nation.
SOMAH’s distinctive, community-based strategy ensures long-term monetary advantages for low-income households and property house owners, helps speed up the photo voltaic market on multifamily housing and creates jobs in deprived and low-income communities.
Information merchandise from SOMAH
