Apartment owners and managers of California who offer housing for residents of low incomes now have access to large cost savings on energy storage systems through the state Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (Somah) program.
A Sunrun installation that had access to Somah stimuli.
The new stimulation offer makes it more affordable for eligible properties to combine storage with solar energy systems, thereby stimulating the resilience of the energy for residents and at the same time reduces electricity costs in the long term. Energy storage systems must be combined with new Somah -Zonne installations.
Incentives can cover up to 100% of the eligible storage project costs, depending on the system size and tenant benefit. Financing is available for systems designed to serve tenant units, common areas or both, as long as the majority benefits tenant units. By capturing surplus solar energy, storage can reduce absorptions, offer backup power during malfunctions and support the transition from California to clean, resilient energy.
“During a planned power outage or an emergency, energy storage can keep the lights on, the fridge cold and mobile phones charged,” said Anna Taleysnik-Mehta, Somah Senior Project Manager at the Center for Sustainable Energy. “It is also a smart way to manage the energy costs of your property by using stored solar energy during the hours in which electricity prices are highest.”
Almost $ 184 million has been allocated for energy storage incentives in the entire state for the next seven years. To be eligible, real estate must comply with the existing Somah-intended requirements, including the operation of households with a low income and in a zoe area operated by Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, Liberty Utilities or Pacificorp.
Other recent changes to the SOMAH program are extensive financing for roof repairs required to install solar and streamlined approval and payment processes in areas with a low participation of the program.
A program of the California Public Utilities Commission, Somah delivers clean solar energy and monthly utility accounts to hundreds of thousands of residents with a low income who would otherwise not have access to renewable energy for their homes.
Since the launch in 2019, Somah has awarded and reserved more than $ 240 million of incentives to support more than 100 MW of solar capacity for more than 59,000 tenant households in the entire state. It is the largest solar program with low incomes in the nation.
Somah’s unique, community-based approach ensures long-term finance benefits for households with low incomes and owners of real estate, helps the solar market to accelerate on multi-family homes and creates jobs in disadvantaged and low income communities.
News item from Somah
