Event Description

Solar energy programs can be a solution to address both climate and housing disparities, but the benefits from traditional solar programs have difficulty reaching residents of subsidized affordable housing. Barriers to participation include the upfront costs for affordable housing owners, as well as the split incentives between building owners and renters, the latter of which lack the agency to install solar on their buildings. In most cases, access to community solar programs is the only way to make it possible for households with housing subsidies to participate in solar programs, and in turn support the necessary deployment of renewable energy to combat climate change.

Recently, SAHF, along with National Housing Trust reviewed the challenges and opportunities to bringing community solar to affordable housing residents. In response to this overview and other advocacy efforts, HUD has released a series of guidance documents that begin to provide more equitable access to community solar.
 

Lessons Learned:

1. Understand what community solar is and how programs are targeting affordable housing.
2. Understand the barriers that affordable housing owners and residents face in accessing community solar.
3. Review the recently released HUD guidance documents and identify the barriers they remove.
4. Identify opportunities for accessing community solar in your location.

About the GHI Environmental Jusice Series:

This session is part of GHI's Green Homes for All where it is our understanding many BIPOC communities do not have acesss to green housing opportunities, are exposed to higher level pollution becaue of this and typically they can be better engaged on residential green building topics. Our goal is to help breakdown these barriers.