Fresno Housing, in partnership with Sunrun, celebrated a new solar installation at Blossom Trail Commons, an affordable housing community in Sanger, Calif. The project, which is located in a CalEnviroScreen disadvantaged community, provides solar energy to 48 homes and saves each family an average of $70 per month on their electricity bills through the use of virtual net metering.
The project is the work of a powerful partnership with a public housing authority, resulting in the first Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program on public housing. Together with Sunrun, Fresno Housing is setting a precedent for other public housing authorities across the state to implement similar solar programs.
“Sunrun is committed to accelerating energy equality and expanding access to affordable solar power for everyone,” said Mary Powell, CEO at Sunrun. “As unpredictable energy costs continue to strain monthly budgets, we are proud to provide families at Blossom Trail Commons with meaningful cost savings and long-term stability.”
“We believe solar energy should be accessible to everyone. We are grateful for this partnership which provides energy benefits to our Fresno Housing families. We know many families are struggling with increased costs of rent, food, and essential items, and we are hoping the installation of solar will provide relief and empower our residents to thrive,” said Tyrone Roderick Williams, CEO at Fresno Housing.
“We take immense pride in delivering substantial monthly bill savings to thousands of families through our multifamily solar installations through the use of virtual net metering,” said Scott Sarem, VP Multifamily & Head of LMI at Sunrun. “Our collaboration with Fresno Housing and SOMAH not only reinforces our commitment to accessible solar energy, but also propels us closer to ensuring solar power is available to all, regardless of income.”
“For many people, $70 a month is a lot of money,” said Sanger Mayor Frank Gonzalez. “It brings them hope.”
In 2018, Sunrun committed to developing 100 megawatts of solar on affordable multifamily housing in California by 2030 via the state SOMAH program. Additionally, in 2021, Sunrun pledged to bring at least 500 megawatts of low-income solar to people across the country by 2030. These efforts will bring the many benefits of rooftop solar to hundreds of thousands of residents. Sunrun currently has 150 active multifamily projects comprising more than 11,100 households.
— Solar Builder magazine
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.