To help owners and residents of affordable multifamily properties in Connecticut more easily access the benefits of solar energy and battery storage, the Connecticut Green Bank announced that its Solar Marketplace Assistance Program (Solar MAP) is now available for affordable homes with five or more units . This improvement was made possible by the passage of legislation in 2021, which expanded the definition of a residential customer for purposes of solar energy generation to include multifamily properties. Solar MAP for affordable multi-family housing is officially launched with an informative webinar presentation Thursday June 6 at 9:00 am.
Through Solar MAP, free technical assistance is provided to affordable multifamily properties, property managers and owners to simplify and navigate the process of transitioning to solar energy (including battery storage) from start to finish. The program helps identify project locations, conduct feasibility studies and design solar installations. The Green Bank also provides the financing, incentives and contractors to take projects from concept to completion.
Before 2021, affordable multifamily properties were defined as commercial properties, competing for a capped incentive. Affordable multifamily properties now have access to the Residential Renewable Energy Solutions program, which has no cap and often provides benefits that outweigh the commercial incentive. The program also allows tenants to share in the savings from the solar system. Solar MAP offers a lease agreement to avoid complicated financing structures and easily share the benefits with property owners and tenants.
Affordable multi-family properties can also benefit from the Energy Storage Solutions Programwhich offers substantial incentives that help tenants become more resilient in the event of a grid failure.
The Connecticut Green Bank has received Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that will be used to reduce capital costs for multifamily affordable housing projects – passing along meaningful benefits to both renters and property owners, including more energy savings. increasing resilience to grid failures via storage, and more. In addition, Green Bank worked with the Council of Governments and submitted an implementation application under the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant. This grant funding, if awarded, will be used to help deploy solar and battery storage in vulnerable communities and address other barriers to solar projects, such as scenarios where new roofs or structural upgrades are required prior to installation or where interconnection is prohibitively expensive is.
Since 2020, Solar MAP has supported the development of solar projects at state and municipal properties, including the cities of Manchester, Portland, Mansfield and Branford. Future rounds of the program will support the state’s 10-megawatt-per-year solar goal and growing interest across industries in battery storage.
News item from the Connecticut Green Bank
