SolarCity, a company based in California, has announced a program that it says will enable affordable housing developments to provide solar power to residents. The program, which will feature apartment rooftop or carport solar installations, will be financed by SolarCity. Power from the solar panels will be used in common areas and individual apartments.
The SolarCity project will use funding from the California Public Utilities Commission’s Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) and the New Solar Homes Partnership (NSHP), which is administered by the California Energy Commission. The entities will provide $54 million in incentive funding for 35 MW of new solar capacity, according to the company.
The company is working in partnership with Everyday Energy, a company that helps the economically disadvantaged areas participate in solar projects.
There are efforts underway in California to make rooftop solar power more accessible for poorer communities. The San Diego Union Tribune reports that several bills were approved at the end of the legislative session aimed at addressing the issues in these communities which, the story says, have “typically more complex” financial issues than the single family market.
