The Benefits of Greening Affordable Housing

Community solar projects like the Oxon Run Community Solar Farm in Washington D.C. give lower-income communities a chance to reduce energy bills while helping the city meet climate goals. These solar farms are typically set up on vacant lots and the electricity is directed to specific users through the grid instead of used onsite.

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 nonprofit Solstar provides free solar panels to lower-income homeowners in Minneapolis by encouraging wealthy individuals to invest in its solar panel installations and cover the costs. The investors earn a modest return on their investment from Solstar and can take advantage of tax credits, while the homeowners see a drop in their electricity bills.

Churches in Appalachia are installing solar arrays and encouraging their communities to make energy-efficient upgrades and renewable-energy swaps, too. The Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church in West Virginia purchased its array with donations that community members raised from the money they saved on energy after installing free smart-control devices in their homes that reduced energy use during peak hours.

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.

A collaborative partnership among local and national organizations made it possible to install solar panels on 10 Greensboro homes for free. Because of this effort, many low-income families have seen a significant decrease in their energy bills and an increase in value of their homes. Although convincing people to install the panels was a challenge, organizers are now figuring out how to scale the initiative and make it sustainable in the longterm.

With the prices of solar technology dropping and the opportunity to save drastically on energy usage and costs, businesses and organizations across the country are investing more in solar infrastructure for their buildings and facilities. The Better Buildings Initiative of the US Department of Energy is helping by providing guidance and documenting effective approaches and financing for renewables installations - from hotels, to schools, to big box retail.

The Connecticut Green Bank's Solar MAP+ program acts as a "public developer" that bundles, finances, and directly develops solar projects for schools and municipalities that private developers avoid. To date, they've installed nearly 54 megawatts of solar, programmed to save $57 million in energy costs.

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.