Sunrun Multifamily Rooftop Solar Installation Cuts Energy Bills for 100 Low-Income Homes
January 24 2024 - 8:00AM
The Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) Program, St.
Mary’s Elderly Housing Corporation, and Asian Pacific Environmental
Network have partnered with Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the nation’s
leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, for a
ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate a new rooftop solar
installation at St. Mary’s Gardens, an affordable housing community
in Oakland, California.
Built in 1979 by St. Mary’s Elderly Housing Corporation, a local
nonprofit corporation, St. Mary’s Gardens offers 100
affordable-living homes to senior citizens aged 62 or over who
qualify as very low or extremely low income. Sunrun installed solar
panels on the apartment rooftops, providing tenants with 117
kilowatts of solar power. The solar system generates enough energy
to offset nearly two-thirds of tenants’ energy usage, saving each
household about $35 per month on their electricity bill through
virtual net metering.
“It is gratifying to connect affordable housing communities and
families to a cleaner energy source and provide them with the many
benefits that come with solar energy,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell.
“Rooftop solar effectively removes the variable risk of energy
inflation for affordable housing developments. We are proud to
promote energy equity while delivering meaningful monthly savings
to the residents of St. Mary’s Gardens.”
“Elderly citizens like myself are unfortunately often overlooked
on energy issues,” said Joseph Wang, an 88-year-old St. Mary’s
Garden resident. “As someone on a fixed income, $35 a month is a
significant savings that will positively impact my life. I’m very
proud of St. Mary’s staff for improving our buildings’ energy
efficiency and making our neighborhood and community more
sustainable with this solar installation.”
The completion of the St. Mary’s Gardens project marks a
significant milestone as SOMAH’s first-ever Track A project,
demonstrating the realization of community-backed clean energy
solutions through public-private partnerships. The Asian Pacific
Environmental Network, an early supporter of the creation of the
SOMAH program in 2015, helped educate the majority of Mandarin- and
Cantonese-speaking residents at St. Mary’s Gardens about the
benefits of solar energy. Committed to providing residents with
free solar energy, the St. Mary’s board sought technical assistance
from SOMAH’s program administrator in assessing the property’s
solar potential, leading to the identification of Sunrun as an
eligible installation partner.
The project was funded in part by the California Public
Utilities Commission’s SOMAH Program. State funding comes from
polluters who purchase greenhouse gas allowances under the state’s
cap-and-trade program and is an example of California’s commitment
to reducing the climate impacts of the built environment.
“The St. Mary’s Garden project and the Solar on Multifamily
Affordable Housing Program are concrete examples of how we are
going to achieve California’s goals for clean energy for all. As a
CPUC Commissioner, I am inspired to see the on-the-ground results
of what our collaboration can accomplish,” said John Reynolds,
Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission.
“This project delivers on the CPUC’s mission of ensuring access
to clean energy for all Californians, and we are working to bring
more projects like this one to people and communities across
California,” added Rachel Peterson, Executive Director, California
Public Utilities Commission.
“The SOMAH Program is proud to support projects, just like St.
Mary’s Gardens, all across California. St. Mary’s Gardens is an
example of a success story where a solar installation incentivized
by SOMAH can be complemented by a more comprehensive building
retrofit that directly impacts residents through utility bill
savings,” said Staci Givens, SOMAH Program Manager.
“It’s incredible to see the SOMAH Program come full circle with
the installation of solar panels at St. Mary’s Gardens,” said Shina
Robinson, Resilience Hubs Manager at Asian Pacific Environmental
Network. “Nearly 10 years ago, Asian Pacific Environmental Network
members started dreaming up a program that would make sure that
working-class communities of color would see the immediate tangible
benefits of public investments in solar. Today, that program is
bringing cost savings and clean energy to renters in our own
community.”
“We are grateful for having received excellent technical
assistance through the SOMAH program, which has enabled us to
install the solar system that will reduce the utility costs of our
very low-income community,” said Gideon Anders, the Treasurer of
the St. Mary’s Elderly Housing Corporation. The property is
professionally managed by Christian Church Homes.
About SunrunSunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN)
revolutionized the solar industry in 2007 by removing financial
barriers and democratizing access to locally-generated, renewable
energy. Today, Sunrun is the nation’s leading provider of clean
energy as a subscription service, offering residential solar and
storage with no upfront costs. Sunrun’s innovative products and
solutions can connect homes to the cleanest energy on earth,
providing them with energy security, predictability, and peace of
mind. Sunrun also manages energy services that benefit communities,
utilities, and the electric grid while enhancing customer value.
Discover more at www.sunrun.com.
About SOMAHThe Solar on Multifamily Affordable
Housing (SOMAH) Program provides up to $100 million annually in
financial incentives for installing photovoltaic (PV) energy
systems on multifamily affordable housing in California. The
program’s unique, community-based approach ensures long-term,
direct economic benefits for low-income households, helps catalyze
the market for solar on multifamily housing and creates jobs. SOMAH
is overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission and
funded through the greenhouse gas allowance auction proceeds of
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric
Company, Southern California Edison Company, Liberty Utilities
Company and PacifiCorp. SOMAH aims to install 300 megawatts of
generating capacity by 2030. For more information, please visit
calsomah.org.
Media ContactWyatt SemanekDirector, Corporate
Communicationspress@sunrun.com
Investor & Analyst ContactPatrick
JobinSenior Vice President, Finance &
IRinvestors@sunrun.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available
at:https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c6eb7d41-31d4-4017-a42a-5e95836fa2cchttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1a4cdd41-a37e-4869-b9f2-1092651e192ahttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4ed41951-4e0d-480e-a72e-d83a78cb14e1
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