Solar for all? U.S. cities take green power to low-income homes

The Denver-based Triple Bottom Line Foundation funds projects to retrofit low-income, multi-family properties that house underserved groups. The projects include energy-efficiency upgrades, solar power installations, and weatherization upgrades among others.

The renewable energy company EnerWealth Solutions is helping Black farmers in the Carolinas install solar panels among their crops so they can benefit financially from the solar boom with a consistent stream of income.

The Timberline Solar Energy Shingle roof is made up of solar-power integrated, nailable shingles that allow homeowners to keep the look of traditional roofing shingles while reaping the benefits of solar energy. This prevents aesthetic-related issues with homeowner associations and installation bottlenecks that complicate the process of installing solar panels.

Native Renewables, a Native- and women-led nonprofit, is bringing free, off-grid solar energy systems to homes in the Navajo and Hopi reservations that don’t have access to power. And it’s doing so by training local Indigenous peoples to work in the industry so they can reap the economic benefits of these careers instead of hiring out the work.

Artificial intelligence tools are helping the solar energy company Solstice better serve community solar subscribers and make projects more inclusive for low-income households. The tools use data to predict when subscribers might be facing problems that will likely lead to them leaving the project, such as delays or billing confusion, and vet subscribers based on whether they are likely to pay their bills instead of using their credit scores.

With funding and support from the Heritage Foundation Pakistan, a remote, off-grid village installed a solar energy system that supplies residents with free power and has improved their quality of life.

Thanks to a government-funded electrification project, Modhera is the first solar-powered village in India, and as a result, nearly all of the residents pay nothing for electricity. Instead, they earn money from selling unused power back to the grid.

Run by a nonprofit dedicated to creating economic development opportunities in underserved communities, the Solar Works DC training program provides people interested in entering the solar industry with certifications. The trainees are paid and spend up to seven weeks learning in the classroom and on the job.

A solar panel array at the Steelton-Highspire School District generates enough energy to meet the schools’ needs, and the switch to solar is estimated to save the district $1.6 million over the next 20 years, which it can use to improve programming for students.

On the White Earth Nation Reservation, the nonprofit 8th Fire Solar is building and installing solar thermal panels to heat buildings with the sun’s energy while lowering emissions and energy bills.