Affordable Solar Program
Background
The District Department of Energy & Environment and the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) developed the Affordable Solar Program, to bring affordable alternative energy options to District Residents. By way of the District’s 20-year Sustainable DC Plan (the Plan), the city has set several goals to conserve energy and expand the clean and renewable energy portfolio, among other efforts. Among the energy-related goals, the Plan explicitly calls for reducing the energy cost barriers for low-income residents. In doing so, not only are families able to redirect their money to other priority needs, but the District is able improve the health and well-being by decreasing air pollution and lowering asthma rates associated with greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.
Goal
Install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at no cost to income-qualified District residents.
- These systems have the potential to offset energy costs by as much as $500 each year, saving customers money for years to come.
- Educate residents on clean energy options and expand usage in a urban metro area.
- Understand the environmental and economic impacts of the solar program on residents and the city.
Implementation
Households must meet the income requirements for the program. Once they have met the requirements, they must contract with a solar installer that has been authorized by DCSEU. The solar PV system must be installed on at the verifiable physical address of the resident within the District of Columbia, and it must be operational by September 30, 2016.
Results
Through this initiative, 150 solar photovoltaic systems will be installed in low-income single-family homes by September 30, 2016. This is an uptick from the 130 single-family home installations that were successfully completed in 2015.
