Program Overview
The Community Solar Pilot Program, part of CSD’s Low-Income Weatherization Program (LIWP), reduces energy costs for households that are not currently able to benefit from existing low-income solar programs. Most Californians face barriers to traditional rooftop solar, including those who rent, don’t have a roof suitable for solar, who live in an apartment building, or lack financing options. Well-designed community solar increases access to clean renewable energy by enabling multiple households or buildings to participate in a larger scale shared solar installation located in their community. The goal of CSD’s Community Solar Pilot Program was to provide funding for the implementation and testing of a model to deliver community solar to low-income households in an innovative way that has the potential to be replicated elsewhere and to scale, reduce greenhouse gas and toxic air emissions, reduce household energy costs, and provide workforce development opportunities and other co-benefits to communities.
GRID Alternatives Inland Empire was awarded $2.05 million in November 2018 to install a 994 kilowatt (kW) ground mounted solar array in partnership with the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians and the Anza Electric Cooperative, Inc. The project provided solar installation training ans residents from the Santa Rosa Band participated in paid job training opportunities during solar installation. The community solar system is sited on Santa Rosa Tribal lands in Riverside County, an area designated as a low-income community, and benefits 38 homes on tribal land and approximately 200 other low-income households served by Anza Electric. The project is expected to produce more than 42,000,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy over the next 30 years and provide up to $5.4 million in savings to participants over the life of the project.
The Community Solar Pilot project was completed in 2021.
GRID Alternatives: First Low-Income Community Solar Project in California Underway