December 02, 2014
Caption: Solar panels on the roof of NYSUT headquarters in Latham. Photo by El-Wise Noisette.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Friday, December 12, 2014
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
New Revolution in Solar Panels
Check out our NEW Trina Smart Panels ... it's time to take full advantage of the SUN!!
First tech tenant on campus promises jobs, economic boost
Monolith Solar Co-founders, from left, Mark Fobare and Steven Erby at the announcement of the company’s new headquarters moving to the Vista Technology Campus in Slingerlands. Also pictured are Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Kenneth Adams and Colombia Development President Joe Nicolla.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Governor Cuomo Announces Monolith Solar to Expand Operations in Vista Technology Campus
Expansion Will Allow Company to Increase Production to Meet Customer Demand and Create 76 New Jobs
Albany, NY (October 15, 2014 )
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced Monolith Solar, which delivers best-in-class engineering, design and installation of solar energy modules for residential, commercial and non-profit customers, is expanding its operations in the Capital Region. The company will build its new headquarters, and research and development and manufacturing facility in the Vista Technology Campus in Slingerlands. This high-growth project will retain 49 existing jobs and create 76 new jobs in the region. In addition, Monolith will install a solar farm adjacent to its new facility, producing enough electricity to power the majority of the tech park.
"Monolith's decision to expand in the Capital Region is another example of how our focus on the upstate economy is translating into jobs and new opportunities in the region," Governor Cuomo said. "Upstate New York is a prime location for high-tech companies like Monolith that want to grow and thrive, and with this expansion project the region is continuing to move forward as a hub for clean energy technologies. I am proud that our team was able to play a role in making this expansion project a reality, and I look forward to seeing it drive the local economy well into the future."
Monolith will construct and outfit a 16,000 square foot building in the tech park that will house its headquarters and back office operations, as well as a connected 10,000 square foot research and development and manufacturing facility. The $4.9 million expansion will include the purchase of machinery and equipment and employee training, and allow Monolith to meet increased customer demand. As part of the expansion, Monolith will also incorporate a 10 acre solar farm featuring approximately 6,700 solar panels, which will produce approximately two megawatts of power. The farm is in addition to the solar wall that will be located on the headquarters building. Solar features on Monolith's facility will generate approximately 400 kilowatts of power. High-resolution renderings of the Monolith expansion are available HERE.
"Monolith Solar was born in New York, has thrived in New York and now, we're expanding in New York," said Mark Fobare, Co-Founder and CEO of Monolith Solar. "Our business has grown from an operation in the garage of Steven Erby, my fellow Co-Founder, to a multi-regional leader in the high-tech sector, and this new, built-to-suit headquarters will allow us to continue to grow. This wouldn't have been possible without Governor Cuomo's commitment to economic development and growing renewable energy in New York. State initiatives make keeping our business and the dozens of high-tech jobs in New York an easy decision."
To support the expansion project, Empire State Development is providing the company with a $400,000 grant and $400,000 in Excelsior Jobs Program performance based tax credits, which are tied directly to job creation and investment commitments. In addition, Monolith has met with the Town IDA staff and intends to submit an application for IDA benefits.
Columbia Development is the developer of Vista, a 440-acre mixed-use site positioned in the heart of Tech Valley, with proximity to I-90, I-787, the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and GE Global Research. Located in the Town of Bethlehem, Vista offers a wide range of first-class office and retail space and a location that makes it easy to work more efficiently and for companies to grow.
Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Kenneth Adams said, "The Capital Region is a well-known hub for the high-tech industry and Monolith will add to this growth. ESD's support will result in creation of 76 new, good-paying jobs in the community and spur future investment in the tech park."
Joseph R. Nicolla, President of Columbia Development, said, "We are proud to welcome Monolith Solar to the Vista Technology Campus. We had companies like Monolith in mind when we first began planning Vista, and I know Governor Cuomo's economic development initiatives were crafted with the intent of supporting and retaining these high-tech, alternative energy enterprises."
Senator Neil Breslin said, "The expansion of Monolith Solar is further proof that New York is committed to helping clean-tech industries flourish and expand their operations. These are the types of businesses that will help our economy continue to grow in the 21st century and I am thrilled to see that Monolith Solar will expand their headquarters right here in the Capital Region."
Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy said, "This is just the type of local business development we need on multiple fronts; Monolith Solar will be creating good paying jobs with career ladder opportunities in the renewable energy field. It's exactly what's needed in order to achieve long term environmental sustainability. This is the future and I commend the Town of Bethlehem for their leadership in bringing Monolith to Vista Park."
Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy said, "I am proud to have been involved in the discussions, not only to keep Monolith Solar in New York State, but to relocate their headquarters here to the town of Bethlehem. 76 new jobs are being created and this new facility is being built with growth in mind. That is a signal of a brighter future."
Bethlehem Town Supervisor John Clarkson said, "After years of planning, we are very excited to welcome Monolith Solar to Vista. This is the type of technology business that we want to attract, and I hope that this is the first of many announcements of this type."
Town of Bethlehem IDA Thomas P. Connolly said, "This is great news for the Town of Bethlehem. Monolith Solar is the type of technology tenant envisioned for Vista. I know the IDA is excited to review their application and I look forward to working with them in the future."
About Monolith Solar Associates
Founded in 2009, Monolith Solar Associates provides solar solutions to a wide variety of private and public institutions and individuals. Today, the company's projects together generate 9.6 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy each year, enough to power 1,200 homes, or the equivalent of 23 rail cars of coal from being burned annually.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
U.S. To Train Veterans To Install Solar Panels, White House Announces
| By By JOSH LEDERMAN
Posted: Updated:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is planning to train veterans to become solar panel installers in the next six years, the White House said Thursday.
The jobs training program is among a host of initiatives the White House says will cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 300 million tons through 2030, plus save billions of dollars on energy bills for homeowners and businesses. It will launch this fall at one or more military bases and train a total of at least 50,000, including veterans.
The Agriculture Department will also spend nearly $70 million to fund 540 solar and renewable energy projects, focused on rural and farming areas. And the Energy Department will propose stricter efficiency standards for commercial air conditioners, a move the department said could cut emissions more than any other efficiency standard it has issued to date.
The proposals are modest compared with what President Barack Obama has asked Congress to do through legislation to promote clean energy, invest in infrastructure projects and force reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. But with lawmakers unwilling to consider any major climate legislation, Obama has sought to maximize what presidential authority he does hold.
Next week, Obama will attend a one-day United Nations summit on climate change in which heads of state are expected to show up with commitments to curbing emissions at home.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Solar power isn’t just good for our finances. It’s also good for creating jobs and stimulating the economy.
Jobs & Economy
Solar power isn’t just good for our finances. It’s also good for creating jobs and stimulating the economy. A recent study from the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts found that for every $1 million invested in the solar energy industry, you get about 14 jobs, compared to 13 jobs in the wind energy industry, 7 jobs in the coal industry, and 5 jobs in the natural gas industry. Looks like the winner is again solar!
Monday, September 22, 2014
The Rockefellers are getting out of oil and starting to buy the sun - what's next?!
Rockefellers to withdraw fossil fuel investments
NEW YORK — The scions of the American oil industry are divesting from fossil fuels.
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, established by Standard Oil Co. tycoon John D. Rockefeller, will begin untangling its $860 million of investments from fossil fuels and shift those dollars toward renewable energy, the philanthropy will announce Monday.
The action is another symbolic step away from greenhouse-gas emitting fuels, which most scientists blame for warming the planet. It also shows the expanse of the "divest-invest" push led by environmental activists. The effort aims to persuade large endowments to shift their investments from fossil fuels to cleaner sources, such as renewable energy, that first targeted universities.
The theory is that policies aimed at restraining carbon emissions will make investing in fossil fuels more risky. Environmental activists point to credit downgrades of coal companies and coal-based utilities following proposed Obama administration cuts to carbon emissions from power plants as an example.
Events around New York timed around Tuesday's United Nations climate summit — such as a march Sunday that organizers say drew 300,000 — have underscored the push to address climate change.
The Rockefeller move highlights some of that sentiment. Standard Oil, after all, spawned the likes of ExxonMobil and Chevron.
The divesting movement is picking up steam. The Rockefeller announcement will come as part of a broader coalition of philanthropies, non-governmental organizations and faith groups that will reveal $50 billion worth of assets divesting from fossil fuels.
Philanthropies are a newer target. More than 160 environmentalists from 44 countries last week prodded philanthropies — particularly those that offer grants and other funds to projects aimed at curbing climate change — to pull investments in fossil fuel companies.
Institutional lenders also have begun exploring ways to offer more environmentally friendly options for their clients. Activists are pressuring traders as well — on Monday, they protested on Wall Street with a rally that reminded many of the Occupy movement.
But the divestment push is still fairly new and faces some roadblocks.
Deborah Gordon, director of the climate and energy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said she doesn't envision that markets — especially commodities traders — will quickly respond to longer-term climate threats.
"I'm a little less hopeful when it comes to the investment community," Gordon told the Washington Examiner. "They are very much trying to take advantage of the instance in trade. And climate change is very much not that."
Pension funds, too, are a bit trickier for the divestment movement. They're a big target, controlling billions of dollars in assets. But they are run by boards with a responsibility to their pensioners — and fossil fuel companies have provided fairly stable returns.
Scott Stringer, the comptroller for New York City, told the Washington Examiner that withdrawing the city's $160 billion pension fund from fossil fuel investments is "on the table," but he noted he is just one person on the board.
"I'm the fiduciary of the fund. It's not my money. There's five other people — I don't have a unilateral role in this," Stringer said at the People's Climate March on Sunday. "But there's so much more we can do, like on corporate governance. So we're looking at all those options."
Friday, September 12, 2014
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Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
GOING SOLAR
Every second, our sun produces enough energy to sustain the Earth's needs for 500,000 years. Let's SOLARIZE it!
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Fire Company makes the jump to Green Energy
CAPITAL REGION
Solar Panels Installed at Fire District #2 in Rotterdam
ROTTERDAM, N.Y. -- Rotterdam residents are hoping for some more sunny days now that District Two's Fire Station on Curry Road is going solar.
The station had that last of 160 panels installed Thursday on its roof.
One of the district's commissioners says the roof had to be replaced anyway, so they figured they would save the tax payers some money by moving the station to solar energy. The panels will produce about 60 percent of the building's energy.
Over the next 20 years the panels are expected to save more than $47,000.
"It could increase, looking at $47,000 now, a couple thousand dollars a year in savings. Knowing that as they go along in the process it will go higher," said Rotterdam Fire District 2 Commissioner Frank Zadlo.
"This system is going to produce a lot more during the summer and a lot less during the winter, so as they go along in the summer they'll be crediting their account to help them through the shorter winter days," said Chris Delucia, operations manager for Monolith Solar.
Monolith Solar says the fire department entered into a power purchase agreement which means no money down for the installation of the panels.
South Colonie Schools have plans to GREEN their roof!
Monolith Solar - Thursday, August 21, 2014
Solar-powered schools planned in South Colonie
The South Colonie schools are on track to have the largest solar array of any district in New York State.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has approved funding for more than 5,700 solar panels to be spread across each of the district’s eight schools and on the administrative building, transportation department offices and athletic fields at Colonie Central High School. When installed, school officials have said, it could save the district $1.7 million over the next 20 years and provide almost all its power.
The district’s proposal is undergoing a standard engineering review by the state Education Department before the work can begin, but Superintendent Jonathan Buhner is optimistic the panels can be installed this fall.
“My understanding is once you get the approval, things can move pretty quickly,” Buhner said.
The system would be put in place at no direct cost to South Colonie taxpayers.
The district has a contract with Monolith Solar Associates of Rensselaer to do the work. The firm would own the system, and the district would pay Monolith a fixed rate for electricity over 20 years of 3.5 cents per kilowatt hour. That is half what the district now pays, a figure that would normally be expected to rise in coming years. The district expects to save $64,000 the first year the system is running.
The Rensselaer firm would install the system free of charge, would maintain it and recoup some of its costs through tax incentives.
NYSERDA is providing about $1.8 million of a cost of about $5.5 million, spokesman Alan Wechsler said.
At a total of 1.7 megawatts, the system would be the largest for a school district in New York state, he said. The next largest is the 1.2 megawatt system in the Queensbury Union Free School District.
The district expects to save $90,000 to $100,000 a year in expenses. For the coming school year, Buhner said, he budgeted a third less to give time for the system to be installed and running.
“The one thing we do know is we’re going to save a lot of money,” he said. “Some of our smaller buildings will produce enough energy for about all their use.”
Monday, August 4, 2014
Special Thanks!
Special Thanks! goes out to all our team members, despite the heat this week they kept moving the projects forward. These guys are amazing. The heat on your roof is about ten degrees hotter then ground temperature. Neat fact about solar is that it actually helps cool the building, all that heat that was being absorbed by the building is now turning into energy!
Solar savings generate funds to aid animals at local shelter
Posted: Saturday, August 2, 2014 12:30 am
The Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA has had solar panels running on its new building for the past 10 days, helping to offset utility costs.
Monolith Solar Associates, of Rochester, installed solar panels at no cost at the Humane Society’s new facility, which opened in March and had a grand opening May 31.
“Talks about installing solar panels began nearly a year ago when we were planning the new facility,” said Ron Perez, president of the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA. “We did some research to try to find the best deal that could provide the most electricity before we went with Monolith.”
The addition of the solar panels can offset electric utility costs by 25 percent, according to a Monolith press release.
The Humane Society factored a savings of 60 percent on utility costs, Perez said.
“We’ve had them running for 10 days,” he said. “If trends continue as we’ve monitored, it is looking like we can offset utility costs by around 80 percent.”
An 80 percent reduction on electric costs is a “massive savings,” he said.
“Heating, cooling and lighting our facility comes at a high cost and takes a toll on our budget, not to mention the environment,” Perez said. “To minimize the effects of costly energy consumption on both our bottom line and the environment, we made the decision to go solar. Thanks to Monolith, we will see a significant savings in our electricity costs, allowing us to allocate more funding to where it is most needed—directly to providing the highest level of care for our community’s animals.”
Monolith installs free solar panels and when the panels are operational, the customer leases them from Monolith for a monthly fee, said Gwennan Booth, public relations manager for Gramercy Communications, which represents Monolith.
However, nonprofit organizations are eligible for Monolith’s power purchase agreement program, “which allows organizations that have zero tax liability to gain access to solar through our lease option. (The) only bill from Monolith Solar (for nonprofit organizations) is a monthly electric charge for the solar produced at a discounted rate, as compared to your current utility rate,” according to the company’s website, www.monolithsolar.com.
“We commend (the Humane Society) for their forward-thinking decision to go solar,” said Monolith President and CEO Mark Fobare, in a press release. “Large facilities clearly incur higher energy costs and can reap remarkable savings benefits from solar energy in addition to being more environmentally responsible. The system was designed to produce the needs of their anticipated energy usage. They only pay for the power they use and that cost is 20 percent less than what they would have paid to the utility company.”
Stever Erby, vice president of Monolith, added to Fobare’s remarks.
“The Humane society does not pay for the install or maintenance, but they pay us like they would a utility company, but at a very reduced rate,” he said. “About 80 percent of a normal utility bill, which adds up to a lot of savings.”
Perez said he is just happy to be able to allocate more funds to help the animals.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Solar Savings for Animal Shelter!
Monolith Solar is proud to support the Columbia County Humane Society with lower energy bills for the next 20 years! Check out their Annual Summer Paw Picnic on August 2nd (12-4pm) and help this shelter care for unwanted, neglected, and abused animals!!!
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
HAPPY 4TH!
This year we invite you to install a solar system at your home, business, or non-profit. The truth about solar is you can own it for less then or equal to what your currently paying the utility. After a short period you own the system and the POWER that comes with it. Happy 4th!
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Summer Energy!!
Summer brings a wealth of young talent and enthusiasm to our Monolith Solar Team. We are excited to welcome our summer interns Bridget & Jean to the Monolith Family!
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Rooftop Solar Adoption in Emerging Residential Markets
SOURCE: AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta
This house owned by Ketch Ryan of Chevy Chase, Maryland, has solar panels installed on the roof.
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Solar energy has become a tangible solution to rising electricity costs and carbon emissions for many Americans. Declining installation prices and solar-friendly policies in many states have led to tremendous growth in rooftop solar installations. In 2013, residential solar photovoltaic, or PV, capacity increased 60 percent over the previous year, reaching 792 megawatts. Today, a new solar power system is installed every four minutes in the United States.
The rooftop solar phenomenon took off in states such as California, Arizona, and New Jersey—the three largest U.S. solar markets—and has been spreading, albeit at a slower pace, to other states. Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York, for example, are developing strong residential solar markets, but the number of residential installations in each state is less than half of the total residential installations in Arizona and New Jersey and less than 10 percent of the total residential installations in California.
Last year, the Center for American Progress released an issue brief titled “Solar Power to the People: The Rise of Rooftop Solar Among the Middle Class,” which found that rooftop solar systems were being overwhelmingly adopted in middle-class neighborhoods with median incomes ranging from $40,000 to $90,000 in Arizona, California, and New Jersey. This issue brief explores the income make-up of rooftop solar adopters in the developing markets of Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York.
Interestingly, these emerging residential solar markets have some similarities to—as well as some marked differences with—the more established solar markets, such as California and New Jersey, in terms of the income characteristics of solar energy system owners. New York and Massachusetts have followed rooftop solar adoption trends similar to those of more developed markets, with more than 80 percent of residential solar installations in New York and nearly 70 percent of residential installations in Massachusetts occurring in ZIP codes with median incomes ranging from $40,000 to $90,000. Maryland, however, has not followed the same pattern, as just 45 percent of its residential solar installations have occurred within neighborhoods in the $40,000–$90,000 median income range.
In this issue brief, we present the findings of our rooftop solar adoption analysis in each state and then discuss the importance of good solar policies, including the effect they can have on whether middle- and low-income residents take advantage of solar technologies.
Rooftop solar adoption in Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York
Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York are a few of the up-and-coming residential solar markets in the United States. “Solar Power to the People” hypothesized that the more established residential solar markets—including California, Arizona, and New Jersey—would provide important insights into the way that rooftop solar is being adopted in other states. This theory holds true for Massachusetts and New York, but the income characteristics of residential solar customers in Maryland deviated somewhat from the more mature markets.
Comparison of emerging markets
We analyzed residential solar installations within each ZIP code and their corresponding median household incomes to determine the distribution of installations by income level and state. (see Figure 1) Of the three states, Maryland has the lowest percentage of residential installations in the $40,000–$90,000 range at just 44.5 percent; New York and Massachusetts have more than 80 percent and 67 percent, respectively, of installations in this range.
To understand whether the distribution of installations follows the population distribution, we plotted the number of installations and the number of households in one graph for each state. (see Figure 2) In these graphs, the number of households should be used as a point of reference, rather than as a direct comparison to installations. For example, if the number of households peaks at a certain income range, one would expect the number of installations within that range to peak if the distribution of installations was following the same pattern as household distribution. In other words, if there are more households in the $50,000–$60,000 range, one might expect there to be more installations in that range as well.
Massachusetts provides a good example of how the adoption of rooftop solar across income levels can follow household distribution almost perfectly, with residential installations spread fairly evenly over the population. Rooftop solar adoption in New York follows household distribution at the lower and higher ends of the spectrum, but installations are more heavily concentrated compared to population in the middle-income levels. In Maryland, residential solar installations follow a similar pattern to household distribution but are skewed more toward the higher income brackets.
We also examined the growth of rooftop solar installations across income levels in each state by year since 2009. (see Figure 3)
While rooftop solar installations in areas with median incomes ranging from $40,000 to $90,000 have increased in both Maryland and Massachusetts since 2009, they have not followed the same year-over-year growth trend as residential installations in middle-class neighborhoods in the more developed markets. In New Jersey, for example, the percentage of installations occurring in neighborhoods with median incomes in the $40,000–$90,000 range increased steadily every year from 2009 to 2012—rising from 55.9 percent in 2009 to 65.5 percent in 2012. In Maryland and Massachusetts, residential installations in middle-class neighborhoods have not shown the same predictable upward pattern over the past five years. Similarly, New York’s rooftop solar installations in the $40,000–$90,000 range have hovered around 80 percent since 2009.
Other findings
Through this analysis, we also identified the areas that experienced the most growth from 2012 to 2013 among the three emerging solar markets. In Massachusetts and Maryland, the highest percentage increase in annual residential installations from 2012 to 2013 occurred in neighborhoods with median incomes ranging from $40,000 to $50,000. Massachusetts saw a 106 percent increase within that income range—from 162 installations in 2012 to 334 installations in 2013. Maryland’s residential installations within the $40,000–$50,000 income range grew from 26 installations in 2012 to 34 installations in 2013—a 31 percent increase. In New York, residential installations that fell within the $110,000–$120,000 income range saw the highest percentage growth, from 12 installations in 2012 to 35 installations in 2013—a 192 percent increase.
Although it is difficult to tie the findings from our analysis to particular policies, it is clear that policy plays an important role in the accessibility and affordability of rooftop solar. The next section discusses the impact that good solar policies can have on residential solar markets and highlights policies that could ensure that even more middle- and low-income households have access to solar technology.
Policy is critical
Policy has been integral to developing strong solar markets, and states that are able to capture all of the economic and environmental benefits that solar technology can provide will be better positioned to meet current and future renewable energy targets, as well as carbon-emissions standards.
California has established itself as a leader in energy and environmental policy in the United States and should be a model for other states on how to effectively scale rooftop solar installations. Under solar policies, such as the California Solar Initiative, or CSI—which has provided rebates to residential and nonresidential solar customers of the three major investor-owned California utilities since 2007—the Golden State has seen incredible solar growth and has become the largest residential solar market in the country. Case in point: California went from about 2,000 residential solar installations registered in the CSI database in 2007 to more than 90,000 residential installations today.
Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York have not come close to the number of residential installations in California but have implemented several policies that could help them eventually get there. (see Table 1)
The solar policies listed in Table 1 have been effective tools to encourage solar adoption and increase its affordability. Net metering is a state policy that allows rooftop solar system owners to receive credit on their electric bills for any excess power that they generate beyond what they use onsite, which can shorten the payback period for a residential solar photovoltaic system. Because rooftop solar systems are essentially taxable property, many states and municipal governments have exempted them from local property tax and sales tax to keep related costs low. Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, programs allow homeowners to borrow money from local governments to finance PV systems or energy-efficiency upgrades. These low-interest, municipal loans are then typically repaid through a special assessment on the owner’s property tax bill. Solar Renewable Energy Certificates, or SRECs, provide a market-derived credit for every 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity generated from solar PV systems, which system owners can sell upfront or over time to reduce their system’s cost. State tax incentives provide tax credits based either on the cost of the system or on the amount of electricity produced by the system, lowering a system owner’s tax bill at the end of the year.
These policies are vital to the affordability of rooftop solar and its continued growth among middle- and lower-income residents. Although solar installation costs have dropped dramatically over the past few years, the average cost for a 5-kilowatt system—the typical size of a residential solar power system—in Maryland is currently about $23,250. Without rebates and other solar policies, it would be extremely difficult for middle- and low-income Maryland households to purchase a system outright.
Even with rebates and tax incentives, it can be challenging to pay the upfront costs, as processes to claim rebates can take months and tax credits can only be realized during the following year’s tax season. Solar leasing programs have helped address this issue by reducing or eliminating the upfront costs, but they are not available in every state, and not every household can meet the minimum credit score of 680 or 700—depending on the state—needed to qualify for a lease. State green banks and financing authorities, which help facilitate private-sector financing for clean energy projects, could begin to fill the gap by offering or backing solar leases and loans for those with lower credit scores, but these financing authorities currently only exist in Connecticut, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New York. Connecticut’s green bank provides solar leases to residents with credit scores as low as 640.
An example of an effective state initiative that is currently making rooftop solar affordable for low-income residents is California’s Single-family Affordable Solar Homes, or SASH, program, which was established as part of a 2006 law that directs 10 percent of CSI funding toward helping low-income households access solar technology. Managed by nonprofit solar contractor GRID Alternatives, the program provides free or low-cost solar PV systems to low-income homeowners and has leveraged private-sector investment and community volunteers to install 3,684 PV systems to date. This type of program is needed in other states to ensure that low-income communities can access rooftop solar.
Regardless of the income level of those taking advantage of solar technology, the benefits that rooftop solar power systems provide to the electric grid are the same: reduced transmission and distribution costs; avoided fuel costs; decreased demand during peak periods, or the periods when electricity is more expensive, in certain regions; and an energy source with zero carbon emissions. This is important to consider, especially as some utilities are calling for policies, such as net metering, to be altered or eliminated entirely based on the assertion that rooftop solar system owners are not paying their fair share for use of the electric grid.
Because of net metering and other solar policies, rooftop solar is within reach for many Americans. Smart solar policies and programs have made solar technologies more accessible and have empowered households across the country to invest in a clean energy future, but more can be done to ensure that rooftop solar reaches a greater share of middle- and low-income Americans.
Conclusion
Our analysis of three emerging solar markets shows that middle-class homeowners make up a significant percentage of rooftop solar customers, especially in Massachusetts and New York. Regulators and policymakers in these two states and Maryland, as well as across the country, should be thinking about ways to provide more access to solar and other distributed technologies, rather than scaling back good solar programs and policies. Effective residential solar policies expand access to middle- and low-income residents while also increasing the use of clean, distributed power that can reduce carbon emissions and add value to the grid.
Data collection and methodology
To determine the income distribution of rooftop solar system owners, we collected data from the Maryland Energy Administration, Massachusetts’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The Maryland Energy Administration and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority track all residential and nonresidential solar installations for which individuals or entities receive a solar rebate within their respective states. In Massachusetts, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs tracks all solar installations that are registered as qualified generation units under the solar carve-out requirement of the state’s renewable portfolio standard. The installation data used in this analysis for Maryland and New York were current as of April 30. The Massachusetts solar installation dataset was updated on May 1.
Using the Bureau of the Census’s 2012 five-year estimates from the American Community Survey, we found the median household income for each ZIP code in which there was a residential solar installation accounted for in the Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York databases. We analyzed 5,359 installations and 369 ZIP codes in Maryland, 8,557 installations and 470 ZIP codes in Massachusetts, and 7,429 installations and 1,074 ZIP codes in New York.
Data limitations
We analyzed median income data at the ZIP-code level from the Bureau of the Census because actual income data for each installation are not publicly available. Actual incomes associated with each installation could be higher or lower than the median incomes.
Mari Hernandez is a Research Associate on the Energy team at the Center for American Progress.
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