California Center for Sustainable Energy

First rebate for multifamily affordable housing

The first installation under the Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing ( MASH) program in the San Diego region was dedicated during a press conference held July 15 at Hacienda Townhomes, a 52-unit apartment building in downtown San Diego’s East Village neighborhood.

The 19.8- kilowatt photovoltaic ( PV) system is the 10,000th solar interconnection to SDG&E's grid, which was described by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders as “pretty exciting.” The project is an example of what the city wants to encourage in the downtown urban core, said San Diego City Councilman Kevin Faulconer.

CCSE Executive Director Irene Stillings presented the system’s integrator, Everyday Energy of Carlsbad, Calif., a rebate check for $75,198 from the MASH program. Total project cost was approximately $112,000.

Hacienda Townhomes, built in 1994, is owned and managed by the San Diego Community Housing Corporation, a nonprofit organization with the mission to support affordable housing opportunities for low-income families. The solar PV retrofit was installed by Everyday Energy under an energy service agreement. The system consists of 96 Canadian Solar 240-watt panels with an estimated annual output of 34,726 kilowatt-hours.

“This project not only significantly reduces the energy costs for residents and the property owner, but it will also help the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 595 tons of CO₂ over 25 years, the equivalent of planting 23,800 trees or driving a small car over 2 million miles,” said Scott Sarem, CEO of Everyday Energy.

Hacienda Townhomes is SDG&E’s first virtual Net Metering project, which will allow the residents to share the solar benefits from one large solar system. Some 70 percent of the output will serve tenant apartments and about 30 percent will benefit common areas.

Agnes Stupak, CCSE MASH program manager, said the project “demonstrates how MASH rebates extend beyond the middle-class homeowners and businesses who traditionally participate in the program to benefit lower-income, multifamily residents.”

Continue reading August's newsletter.