New resource page on low-income solar

By Emily Stiever on January 17, 2014

Check out our new resource page on low-income solar programs and policies and give us your feedback!

We are excited to begin working on this issue since, as the cost of solar has come down over the last few years, it has become increasingly useful as a means to help low-income communities generate wealth and build power.

There is also a political urgency to focus on low-income solar. In many jurisdictions, utilities have played the “equity” argument in order to drive a wedge between advocates of renewable energy and local progressive groups.

As a movement we need to develop effective project models and policies that allow us to quickly scale up low-income solar deployment.

To that end we’ve put together some examples of initiatives and programs related to low-income solar. These include:

  • Organizations that implement low-income programs, such as Grid Alternatives, Solar Richmond, and Evergreen Cooperatives.
  • Pilot programs to test new models for deploying low-income solar, such as the River Gardens apartment complex in New Orleans.
  • Policies to improve access to solar, such as community/shared solar legislation.
  • Incentive programs to get solar on roofs, such as those offered by the DC Department of the Environment or the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.

Our list is a work in progress, so check it out and let us know of examples we have missed! Over the coming months we will expand on a number of these examples with in-depth profiles and more resources. Contact Emily@solarunitedneighbors.org to have your organization profiled.