1

SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT: A WORKING PAPER ON USING FEDERAL ENERGY

ASSISTANCE FOR SOLAR

2

VoteSolarHeadquarters36022ndSt,Suite730Oakland,CA94612Votesolar.orgUniversityofMichiganEnvironmentalFellowsProgramDanaBuilding440ChurchStreetAnnArbor,MI48109efp-umich.squarespace.com/faq/HowardUniversityDepartmentofSociologyandCriminologyDouglassHall,Room207POBox987Washington,DC20059coas.howard.edu/sociologycriminology/index.htmlLeadResearcherKemetAzubuikeMastersStudent,Dept.ofSociologyHowardUniversitykemet.azubuike@bison.howard.eduContributingAuthors-ResearchersMelanieSantiago-Mosier,VoteSolarKeithKuney,CommunityActionPartnershipofOregon(CAPO)JasonEdens,RuralRenewableEnergyAlliance(RREAL)JosephPereira,ColoradoEnergyOffice(CEO)EditedbyMelanieSantiago-Mosier

3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThisworkwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutthefinancialsupportoftheUniversityofMichigananditsEnvironmentalFellowsprogram.IamespeciallyindebtedtoMelanieSantiago-Mosier,DirectorofLow-IncomeSolarAccessatVoteSolar,whohasbeensupportiveinhermentorship,critiques,edits,andcontributionstothisfinalproduct.IhavelearnedmuchfromMelanieandtheVoteSolarorganization.IamgratefultoallofthosewhomIhavehadthepleasureofworkingwithduringthisproject.Eachofthecontributorsprovidedvaluablefeedbackandcommentaryonearlierdrafts,inadditiontoteachingmeagreatdealaboutthesolarindustry.ThesepeopleareKeithKuneyoftheCommunityActionPartnershipofOregon(CAPO),JasonEdensofRuralRenewableEnergyAlliance(RREAL),andJosephPereiraoftheColoradoEnergyOffice(CEO).Theirwillingnesstoassistwasgreatlyappreciated.Also,IwouldliketothankthestaffoftheEnvironmentalFellowsprogram,specificallyMollyLuttonandDr.DorcetaTaylor,forawardingmethisopportunitytoadvancemyknowledge,honevaluableskills,andmeetincrediblepeoplethroughthisfellowship.Ithasbeenanamazingexperience.

4

TableofContentsEXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 INTRODUCTION 6 GROWING SUPPORT FOR SOLAR ADOPTION AND EXPANSION IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES 8 CHALLENGES FOR LOW-INCOME SOLAR DEPLOYMENT 8 THE CASE FOR ENERGY ASSISTANCE DOLLARS FOR SOLAR 9

• LIHEAP and WAP 9 OPPORTUNITY FOR SOLAR WITHIN ENERGY ASSISTANCE POLICIES 10

• Policy Facilitation for Solar • Residential Energy Assistance Challenge Option (R.E.A.C.H.) 11

SAVINGS TO INVESTMENT RATIO (SIR) CALCULATOR 12

• Approval of Solar In Energy Plans 13 STATES UTILIZING ENERGY ASSISTANCE FOR SOLAR 14

• Oregon • Colorado • California 15 • Minnesota 16 • Other Uses of Energy Assistance Funds 17

KEY TRENDS OBSERVED BETWEEN STATES 17 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STATE ENERGY OFFICERS 18 REFERENCES 19

5

EXECUTIVESUMMARYThisreportprovidesananalysisandevaluationoftheLIHEAPandWAPandthefacilitationofsolarenergiesincorporatedwithintheseprogramstoaddressenergyburdeninlow-incomecommunities.Todate,veryfewstateandlocalofficialsadministeringLIHEAPandWAPhavetakenadvantageoftheopportunitytointegratesolarintotheseprograms.Onereasonisthat,untilrecently,solarpricesweretoohighfortheintegrationtorepresentagoodinvestment.Additionally,therulesandregulationsregardingtheintegrationofsolarintotheseprogramshavenotbeenwellunderstood.Inthelastfiveyears,federalenergyassistancefundingunderLIHEAPandWAPtotalsapproximately$15billion.Bothareimportantprogramsthatassistlow-incomefamiliesinpayingtheirenergybills,provideweatherizationservices,andinstallhealthandsafetyimprovementsfortheirhomes.However,inthecaseofenergybillassistance,theimportantquestionbeingraisedinthispaperis:arecurrentenergyassistancepracticesprovidinglastingsolutions?Theresearchdrawsattentiontothefactthatthereisnotonlygrowingsupportforsolarinlow-incomecommunities,butpolicy-makersatalllevelsareincreasinglyinterestedinmakingsolaravailableforlow-incomefamilies.Statepolicyleadersarebecomingincreasinglyattunedtotheneedforgreatersolardeploymentinlow-incomecommunities,andlegislationandprogrammingtoaccomplishthisisbeingintroducedatthestatelevelwithmorefrequency.Localgovernments,too,areseekingwaystoexpandaccesstosolarfortheirmostvulnerablecommunities.ThisgrowinginterestamongpolicyleaderscanbedirectedtotheintegrationofsolarintoenergyassistanceprogramssuchasLIHEAPandWAP.StatesthathavesuccessfullyintegratedsolarwithenergyassistancefundsareCaliforniaandColorado,withotherstatessuchasMinnesotaandOregonintheprocessofdoingthesame.Thisreportfindsthattherearepatternsstateshavefollowedthatcanbetterassiststateenergyofficerstoincorporatesolarintheirstateenergyplans.Theseincludeadvocatingforpoliciesfornetmetering,partneringwithstateutilities,formingpartnershipswithcommunityactionorganizations,developingpublic/privatepartnershipforinnovativefinancing,buildingrelationshipswithenergyofficialsateverylevel,demonstratingmeasurablesavingsinenergycosts,andgainingaccesstostateutilityrenewablefunds.Itisrecommendedthatstateenergyofficers:leveragestateandfederalenergypoliciestosupportlow-incomesolardeployment;developafinancialmodelthatworksforlow-incomesolar;arefamiliarwithfederalenergyassistancepolicies;andbuildrelationshipswithstateenergyofficesandcommunityadvocacygroups.

6

INTRODUCTIONTheexpansionofsolartechnologyiscreatinganabundanceofbenefitslikeacleanerenvironment,improvementsinhealthandwellness,opportunitiesforwealthgenerationandsavingmoney,andaccesstoajobmarketthatprovideslivablewages.Thepossibilitiesproducedfromthisburgeoningindustrycouldassisthistoricallymarginalizedcommunitieswithissuesthathaveplaguedtheircommunities.Peopleofcolorandlow-incomehouseholdsaremorelikelytolivenearacoalpowerplant(NAACP&Wilson,"CoalBlooded:PuttingProfitsBeforePeople",2011),andthusmoreliabletosufferfromhigherincidentsofadversehealtheffects,highermedicalbills,moresusceptibilitytotheconsequencesofclimatechange,andlowerpropertyvalues.Additionally,onanindividuallevel,low-incomehouseholdsmayspendanaverageof15to20percentoftheirincomeonenergybillscomparedtotheaverageformiddle-incomefamiliesat6to10percent(Chandler,"WherethePoorSpendMoreThan10PercentofTheirIncomeonEnergy",2016).Helpinglow-incomehouseholdssavemoneyonelectricitydirectlytranslatesintoafamily’sabilitytocoverotheressentialneeds.Financialincentivesgivesolartechnologyatremendousopportunitytoprovidebenefitstomembersofsocietythatneedthemmost.Therearesomechallengestomakingsolarenergyaccessibletolow-incomecommunities,andobtainingfinancialsupportisamongthemostdifficulttoovercome.Low-incomefamiliesoftenhavenoupfrontcapitalwhichtranslatesintonomoneyfordownpayments,havelittlecreditornocredithistory,whichcreatesbarriersthateliminatetheabilitytofinancesolarthroughloansorotherfinancialproducts.Financialsupportisneededtoovercomethelackofavailablecashanddifficultyinobtainingloansorotherfinancingtoolsthatlow-incomefamiliesoftenface.Andwhilethecostofsolarhasplummetedinrecentyears,thecostmaystillbeoutofreachforthesehouseholdswhostandtobenefitfromitthemost.Today,someenergyassistanceprogramsareinoperationatthefederal,state,andlocalgovernmentlevels.Theseprogramsexisttohelplow-incomehouseholdsaffordandpaytheirenergybills.Integratingsolarintotheseprogramscouldhelptoreduceandstabilizebeneficiaries’utilitybills,andoverthelong-termcouldcontributetoreducingtheoverallneedforenergyassistanceprogramming.Theseprogramsofferapathwaytofillinginthegapsforthefinancialsupportthatlow-incomefamiliesneedtobeabletoparticipateinthebenefitsofsolar.TheUnitedStatesfederalgovernmentoverseestwoprogramsthatprovideenergyassistancetolow-incomehouseholdsacrossthecountry:theDepartmentofHealthandHumanServices’LowIncomeHomeEnergyAssistanceProgram(LIHEAP)andtheDepartmentofEnergy’sWeatherizationAssistanceProgram(WAP).Theseprograms,althoughbothaddressingenergyconcernsforlow-incomefamilies,havedifferentstrategiesforaccomplishingthistask.LIHEAPprovidesdirectassistancetohelphouseholdscovertheirenergycostsandkeeptheirutilitiesrunning(NASCSP,"LIHEAPandWAP-TwoSidesoftheSameCoin",2016).Essentially,LIHEAPisastop-gap,providingimmediatesupportforfamiliesfacingutilitycutoff.LIHEAPgivesmoneydirectlytoutilitycompaniesfortemporaryreliefanddoesnotassistfamiliesforextendedrelieffromunaffordableheatingandelectricbills.WAPfocusesoninstallingenergyconservationandenergyefficiencymeasuresinlow-incomehouseholds,suchasairsealing,exteriorwallinsulation,atticinsulation,furnacerepairorreplacement,airsealing,ductsealing,refrigeratorreplacements,andotherenergyefficiencymeasures.(Benefits.gov,"EnergyAssistance")WAPprovidesalong-termsolutiontolow-incomefamiliesenergybills.Theweatherizedhomewithservicesmentionedaboveresultsinanaveragesavingsof$300peryear.Overa

7

twenty-yearpaybackperiod,WAPprovidesameasurablereturnoninvestmentsthatmakecost-effectivesense.Billionsofdollarsareawardedeachyeartosubsidizeenergybillsforlow-incomefamilies.Together,in2017alone,theseprogramswereallocated$3.39billion(LIHEAPClearinghouse,"LIHEAPandWAPFunding")tohelpstabilizeandsupportlow-incomehouseholdutilitybills.Theintegrationofsolarintotheseprogramspresentsanopportunitytoreducethesefamilies’energyburdenonalong-termbasis.Thisenergyburdenreductioncouldresultinareduced,oreveneliminated,needforenergyassistanceonaper-customerbasis.Overtime,theincorporationofsolarintotheseprogramswouldprovetobeagoodinvestmentoffederalenergyassistancefundsandwouldresultinadiminishedneedfortheseprogramsoverall.Todate,veryfewstateandlocalofficialsadministeringLIHEAPandWAPhavetakenadvantageoftheopportunitytointegratesolarintotheseprograms.Onereasonisthat,untilrecently,solarpricesweretoohighfortheintegrationtorepresentagoodinvestment.Additionally,therulesandregulationsregardingtheintegrationofsolarintotheseprogramshavenotbeenwellunderstood.Moreover,thephilosophiesofbothLIHEAPandWAPdifferthusrequiringdifferentmethodsofevaluationandimplementation.Thispaperexploresutilizingfederalmoniesinthequesttomakesolarenergyavailabletolow-incomefamilies.ThegoalofthispaperistooutlineapaththatcanbefollowedtoensurethesuccessfulintegrationofsolarintoLIHEAPandWAPprogramsthatareadministeredatthestatelevel.ThispaperdiscussesguidanceissuedbytheDepartmentofEnergyandtheDepartmentofHealthandHumanServicesthatallowssolartobeincorporatedintotheseprograms.Additionally,thispaperincludesexamplesofstateenergyprogramsthathavesuccessfullyutilizedenergyassistancefundsforsolar,tothebenefitofclients.GROWINGSUPPORTFORSOLARADOPTIONANDEXPANSIONINLOW-INCOMECOMMUNITIESThefederalandstategovernmentsareincreasinglyembracingpoliciesthatcanhelplow-incomefamiliesaccesssolarelectricity.Accesstosolarpowercouldsignificantlyreducetheenergyburdenoflow-incomehouseholdbyprovidingelectricitybelowlocalutilityrates(Landey&Rzad,"ApproachestoLow-IncomeEnergyAssistanceFundinginSelectedStates",2017).Furthermore,asresidentialsolaradoptionbecomesmoreprevalentandenergyproductionfromthesesystemsincrease,low-incomefamilieswon’tbeartheburdenoffinancingincreasinglyantiquatedelectricalsystems.Butforsolartobecomewidelyimplementedandthebenefitstobedisseminatedtolow-incomecommunities,innovativefundinghastobethecatalystthatspursadoption.Withthepriceofsolarequipmentdecreasingawhopping70percentsince2009,inconjunctionwithmaturingfinancialmodels,solarpenetrationhasproliferatedoverthepastdecade.Forthemostpart,however,thesegmentoftheUSpopulationthathaswidelyadoptedsolartechnologiesforresidentialusehasbeenmiddleclasstouppermiddle-classfamilies,leavingagapfortheadoptionofsolartechnologiesinlow-incomecommunities.Inthefourstatesthataccountfor65percentofallresidentialsolarinstallationsinthecountry,California,Massachusetts,NewJerseyandNewYork,over70percentofthesehouseholdshaveamedianincomeof$75,000(Andorka,"Report:Middle-incomehomeownersmakeup70%ofsolarcustomers(with3criticalcharts)",2017).Theadoptionofsolartechnologiesbymiddle-incomepopulationshasbeenheavilyincentivizedbypoliciesthataremostaccessibletomiddle-incomeearners.Taxcredits,ratestructuresthatprovideadditionalincentivesforhighconsumption

8

households,andhavingfinancialresourcestobeearlyadoptershavesignificantlyassistedthissegmentofthepopulationinadvancingsolar.With49.1millionhouseholdsearninglessthan$40,000ofincomeperyearandaccountingfor40percentofallU.S.households,low-incomefamiliesonlyaccountforlessthan5percentofsolarinstallations("SummaryforPolicymakers:BridgingtheSolarIncomeGap",2014).Forthisreason,low-incomecustomersneedtohavepoliciesthatallowthemaccesswithinthisenergydivide.Policy-makersatalllevelsareincreasinglyinterestedinmakingsolaravailableforlow-incomefamilies.Forexample,in2014,theexecutivebranchofthefederalgovernmentestablishedagoaltotriplesomesolarpanelsinstalledinlow-incomecommunities,andtoprovide“technicalassistancetomakeiteasiertoinstallsolarincludingclarifyinghowtousefederalfunding”("FACTSHEET:AdministrationAnnouncesNewInitiativetoIncreaseSolarAccessforAllAmericans",2015).Furthermore,tomatchthepresidentialinitiative,in2015therewasacommitmentof$520millionfromphilanthropicandimpactinvestors,andstatestoscalesolarinlow-incomehouseholds.Statepolicyleadersarebecomingincreasinglyattunedtotheneedforgreatersolardeploymentinlow-incomecommunities,andlegislationandprogrammingtoaccomplishthisisbeingintroducedatthestatelevelwithmorefrequency.Localgovernments,too,areseekingwaystoexpandaccesstosolarfortheirmostvulnerablecommunities.ThisgrowinginterestamongpolicyleaderscanbedirectedtotheintegrationofsolarintoenergyassistanceprogramssuchasLIHEAPandWAP.CHALLENGESFORLOW-INCOMESOLARDEPLOYMENTAvarietyofobstaclesimpedeprogresstowardbringingsolarenergytolow-incomepopulations.Oneofthelesswell-knownissuesispureawarenessaboutsolartechnologies.Low-incomecommunitiesmayexhibitskepticismandareluctancetoacceptsolartechnologiesasabenefitbecauseofpriornegativeexperienceswithindustriesthatassumedalackofsophisticationwithinlow-incomecommunities.Forthisreason,low-incomecommunitiescouldregardthesolarindustryasanunethicalwaytomanipulatethemandtaketheirmoney.Additionally,barriersexistwithhousingconditions.Low-incomefamiliesaremorelikelytoliveinhomesthatpresentstructural,healthandsafetyissues,whichdecreasesthefeasibilityforon-sitesolarinstallation("Low-andModerate-IncomeSolarPolicyBasics").Householdsthatmayqualifyforlow-incomesolarprojectsmaynothavethetimetotakeoffworkforincomeverificationandotherpaperwork,retrofits,andinspections.Moreover,anylow-incomefamiliesrenttheirhomes.Insuchcases,installingsolarpanelsforresidentialuseisdifficultbecausetheylackownershipoftheirroofs.However,theprimaryissuepreventinglow-incomecommunitiesfromreapingthebenefitsofsolariscost.Low-incomefamiliesareunlikelytohavethemoneyavailableforlargedownpaymentstocovertheupfrontcostsofsolar.Furthermore,thefinancialsystemdoesnotprovideaffordablecreditoptionstolow-incomecustomers,whomayhavepoorcreditornocredithistory.Becauseofthelackofcredit,low-incomefamiliesareperceivedashigher-riskclients,andbecauseofthis,creditisn’tmadeavailableforthispopulationenmasse.THECASEFORENERGYASSISTANCEDOLLARSFORSOLARInthelastfiveyears,federalenergyassistancefundingunderLIHEAPandWAPtotalsapproximately$15billion("LIHEAPandWAPFunding").Bothareimportantprogramsthatassistlow-incomefamiliesinpayingtheirenergybills,provideweatherizationservices,andinstallhealthandsafetyimprovementsfortheirhomes.However,inthecaseofenergybillassistance,animportantquestionhastoberaised:

9

arecurrentenergyassistancepracticesprovidinglastingsolutions?Onewaythatenergyassistancedollarsbecomesanexcellentandsustainablesolutionfortargetingfamilieswithunaffordableenergybillsisbyhelpingthesefamilieslowertheirenergyburdenandmovetowardenergyself-sufficiency.Ratherthanpayingfamilies’unaffordableenergybillsyearafteryear,usingthesefundsforsolarinstallations,inadditiontoweatherizationandhealthandsafetyimprovements,createslastingstructuralchangebyempoweringfamiliesandfosteringself-reliance.Decreasingfamilies’energyburdenandincreasingtheirenergyself-sufficiencycanbeaccomplishedbytargetingLIHEAPandWAPfundingforsolar,resultinginagoodinvestmentovertime.

Figure1:Thegraphshowsthedecliningcostofconsumersolarsystemscomingintoparitywithgridpower,whichistraditionallyacombinationofpredominatelycoalandnuclearpower.Solarbecomesanattractivechoiceforinvestmentsfromenergyassistancefundsbecauseitoffersprolongedreductionofenergybillsinadditiontobeingsignificantlymoreenvironmentallyfriendly.

LIHEAPandWAPTwoprincipalfederalprogramsaddresstheenergyburdenfacedbylow-incomeAmericans:theDepartmentofHealthandHumanServices’LowIncomeHomeEnergyAssistanceProgram(LIHEAP)andtheDepartmentofEnergy’sWeatherizationAssistanceProgram(WAP).LIHEAPprovidesdirectassistancetohelphouseholdscovertheirenergycostsandkeeptheirutilitiesrunning.LIHEAPhashistoricallyreceivedbetween$2.5and$4.5billionperyearincongressionalappropriationsandprovidesroughly6.7millionhouseholdswithheatingorcoolingassistanceinatypicalyear.LIHEAPisaprogramoftheDepartmentofHealth&HumanServicesbutisadministeredbystateandlocalagencies.LIHEAPhelpsfamilieswithhomeenergybills,energycrises,andweatherizationandenergy-relatedminorhomerepairs.Familieswithincomesbetween150%-185%ofthefederalpovertyincomeguidelinesor,ifgreater,60%ofthestatemedianincome,arefederallyeligibleforLIHEAPbenefits.Statesmayadoptlowerincomelimits,butnohouseholdwithincomebelow110%ofthepovertyguidelinesmaybeconsideredineligible.ThefederalLIHEAPprogramallowsstateadministeringofficestotransfer15percent,andupto25percentwithawaiver,ofLIHEAPmoniestoweatherization

10

activitiesandworkscloselywithutilitycompaniesandnonprofitstopilotsolarenergytechnologiesforimprovingtheenergyefficiencyoflow-andmoderate-incomehouseholdsandtobettercoordinatestateandfederalweatherizationinitiatives.TheWeatherizationAssistanceProgram(WAP),fundedbytheU.S.DepartmentofEnergy,providestechnicalandfinancialassistancetohelplow-incomeresidentsreducetheirenergybillsbymakingtheirhomesmoreenergyefficient.WAPperformsenergyauditsandinstallsaudit-recommendedenergyefficiencymeasurestohelpfamiliesmaintainenergy-efficient,safeandhealthyhomes.Additionally,WAPfocusesonestablishingenergyconservationandenergyefficiencymeasuresinlow-incomehouseholds.Typicalweatherizationmeasuresmayincludeinsulation,ductsealing,refrigeratorreplacements,heatingandcoolingsystemsrepairsorreplacement,airinfiltrationmitigation;andreducingelectricbaseloadconsumptionthroughmeasuressuchasenergyefficientlightingandappliances.Theseservicescansavealow-incomefamilybetween$250and$450annuallyinenergycostsforupto30years.Forrenewabletechnologies,WAPallowsforapproximatelyhalfoftheavailablebenefitsforfamiliesreceivingweatherizationservicestobeusedforsolar.However,aprimaryfocusofWAPistoensurefamiliesreceivemaximumbenefitsstemmingfromweatherization;solarcanbeapartoftheWAPtoolkittoofferrelieftofamiliessufferingfromhighenergyburdens.OPPORTUNITYFORSOLARWITHINENERGYASSISTANCEPOLICIESIncorporatingsolarinvestmentsintoenergyassistanceprogramscanprovidelong-lastingreductionsinlow-incomehouseholdenergyspending,thereforereducingoveralldemandforhelpovertime.BillionsofdollarsareallocatedforLIHEAPeachyearfromthefederalgovernment,butthatmoneydoesnotdiminishenergyburdensofrecipients.LIHEAPandotherprogramsthatdirectlyhelptopayunaffordablebillsdonothingtoalleviatetheneedforfamiliestogethelpinreducingtheirenergyexpenditures.Thecurrentstructureofenergyassistanceperpetuatesanunfortunatecycleofhighenergyburden,andthespendingoftaxpayerdollarstopayunaffordablebills.Withtheadditionofsolar,thefaceofenergyassistancecanchangesignificantly.Solarofferstheopportunitytodeliverenergyassistancewithouthemorrhagingtaxpayerdollars.PolicyFacilitationforSolarWithincurrentenergyassistancepolicies,rulesandregulations,thereareafewplacesthatmighthelpfacilitatetheuseofsolarenergy.TheLIHEAPenablingstatuterequiresthatstatesconsiderahousehold'senergyneedandenergyburdenatthreeprogrammaticpoints:outreachactivities,eligibilitydetermination,andprovisionofassistance("TargetingLIHEAPBenefits",2010).TheLIHEAPstatuteallowsforenergyaidagenciestouseupto15percentoffundsforresidentialweatherizationmeasures,whichcanincludesolar.And,withaspecialwaiverfromtheDepartmentofHealthandHumanServices,energyassistanceagenciescanuseupto25percentoftheirfundingformeasuressuchassolar.Tobeabletodothis,theLIHEAPstatutespecifiesthatstatesneedtobeabletodemonstrate“measurablesavingsinenergyexpendituresbylow-incomehouseholds.”LIHEAPadministratorscanallocatetheseweatherizationfundsforsolarusingtherulesfortheWAP,LIHEAPrulesdraftedbythestates,oracombinationofboth.AnindividualLIHEAPrulecommonlyknownasAssurance16,allowsLIHEAPgranteestouseuptofivepercentoftheirfundstoprovideservicesthathelphouseholdsreducetheirenergyneedsand,thereby,reducetheirneedforenergyassistance.ByusingLIHEAPfundsforrenewableenergyprojects,itwouldbepossibleforgranteestousesomeAssurance16fundstoprovideeducationabouttheprojectandtheimpactitcouldhaveonclients’energyconsumptionandbills.

11

SolarusagehasbeenapprovedinWAPeventhoughtherulesandregulationsaremorestringent.AsdetailedinWAPMemorandum024,amemoissuedinJanuaryof2017bytheDepartmentofEnergy,theuseofrenewableenergysystemswithintheWAPwasauthorizedbythe2005EnergyPolicyAct("WAPMemorandum024",2017).WAPMemorandum024outlinesaseriesofstepsstatesmusttakeinordertouseWAPfundsforsolar.OneoftheimportantstepsinvolvesademonstrationthatthetechnologycanachieveaSavingstoInvestmentRatio(SIR)of1.0orgreaterintheirstateenergyplans.Simplyput,acriticalstepforusingWAPfundsforsolaristodemonstratethat,overthelifeofthesystem,thevalueofthesystemwillbeatleastashighastheinvestment.ResidentialEnergyAssistanceChallengeOption(R.E.A.C.H.)WithintheLIHEAPstatute,theR.E.A.C.Hprogramwasincludedtogetstatestobecomeinnovativewithenergyassistance.R.E.A.C.H.’sobjectivesaretotacklehealthandsafetyrisksthatresultfromhighenergyburdensonlow-incomeAmericans,preventionofhomelessnessfromtheinabilitytopayenergybills,targetenergyassistancetoindividualswhoareinmostneed,andincreasetheefficiencyofenergyusagebylow-incomefamilies.Increasingtheefficiencyofenergyusagebylow-incomehouseholdscouldbeanotherinroadfortheadoptionofsolartechnologiesinenergyassistancepolicy.Thefundingforthisinitiativeisnottoexceed25%oftheyearlyallocationofLIHEAPdollars.Mostimportantly,theR.E.A.C.H.programmusthavethepotentialtobereplicated.SolareasilyfitsthedescriptionandcanrapidlyscaleandbereplicatedjustaboutanywhereintheUnitedStates.Currently,R.E.A.C.H.fundingison-holdfederally,butitcanstillbeconsideredforpolicyfacilitationandasapotentialfundingoptionforLIHEAPintegratedsolar.

12

SAVINGSTOINVESTMENTRATIO(SIR)CALCULATOR

Asmentionedabove,acriticalstepthatstatesmusttakeinordertopersuadeWAPtoallowsomefundstobeusedforsolarinvolvesdemonstratingthattheinvestmentwillbecosteffective.TheNationalRenewableEnergyLaboratory(NREL)developedatooltodemonstratetheSavingstoInvestmentRatio(SIR),ametricusedtomeasuretheabilityofsolartechnologytorecovertheinvestmentinsolarviathecostsavingsachievedfromcustomerutilitycostreduction.Theratiodividesthesavingsbytheinvestment;aSIRscoreabove1indicatestheWAPadministeringagencywillrecovertheirinvestment.TheSIRcalculateswhetheraPVsystemrecoversitsinvestmentthroughelectricitysavingsandfederalandstateincentives.NRELbuiltthistooltocalculatetheSIRforaresidentialPVsysteminall50statesusingthefollowingformula:

ThereareassumptionsmadewiththeSIRmodel.Thedefaultassumptionsarethatcustomersreceivefullnet-meteringcreditatthestateaverageelectricitypriceaslistedbyEIA.TheseassumptionsalsoincludeadefaultresidentialPVsystempricerangeofresidentialof$2/W-$4/WbasedoncostsreportedinboththeNRELBenchmarkReportandtheGTMreportfordistributedPVsystems,thePVsystemusefullifeestimatedtohavearangebetween25-40yearsbasedonresearchfromNREL,defaultoperationsandmaintenancecostsanddegradationratefromthetechnicalreport"TheRoleofAdvancementsinSolarPhotovoltaicEfficiency,Reliability,andCosts"(NREL2016),state-levelcapacity

13

factorsbasedonNRELinternalanalysisofaveragecapacityfactorofaresidentialPVsysteminthatparticularstate,defaultelectricityescalationratebasedonEIAAnnualEnergyOutlook2016,NationalAverageResidentialEnd-UseElectricityPriceincreasefrom2015-2040,anda3percentsocialdiscountrateassumedtocapturethetimevalueofthesavingsoverthelifetimeofthesystem.TheSIRmetrichasbeenusedinstudiestoproveitseffectivenessinpredictingthereturnofinvestmentofsolarforbothsingle-familyhomesandcommunitysolar.AnewsolardataanalysisfromtheNationalRenewableEnergyLaboratory(NREL)exploredtheaffordabilityofsolarusingtheSIRmetric.NRELconductedasimpleSIRanalysisforall50statesbyassumingthatU.S.residentialPVsystemstodaycostbetween$3.00perwattand$3.50perwattandlast25to35years.Inthisdatarun,NRELstated:“Itcouldbecost-effectiveforhouseholdstomakeashifttosolarinaquartertohalfofthestateswithoutanystateorlocalincentives.”(McGregor,"NewAnalysisShowsNationalPotentialforSolarPowerinLow-IncomeCommunities",2016)NRELexaminedcommunitysolarandconcludedthatthenumberofstateswithpositiveSIRsincreasesto35-48statesifthecostforinstallationstaysinlinewithwholesalecostsof$2.00perwattto$2.50perwatt.Throughthisanalysis,solarisprovingtobeoneofthemostcost-effectivesourcesofenergyforlow-incomepopulationandwillresultinprovidingadecreasedneedforenergyassistancefundsthusbeingabletoservemorefamilies.

ThemapaboveshowstheanalysisNRELconductedthatresultedinpositiveSIRsforallbutthreestateswhensolarispricedbetween$2and$3perwatt.(McGregor,"NewAnalysisShowsNationalPotentialforSolarPowerinLow-IncomeCommunities",2016)ApprovalofSolarInEnergyPlansTogainapprovaltouseenergyassistancefundsforsolar,thereareprocessesthatmustbefollowed.ForapprovaltouseLIHEAPmoniesforsolar,stateLIHEAPadministratorsmustincludethesolarasameasureintheirstateenergyplans.Beyondthis,theLIHEAPprogramhasnotoutlinedanyguidance.Accordingly,whileitiseasytoincludesolarinastateLIHEAPplan,itisnotclearwhethertheLIHEAPprogrammayrequiremorestepsordemonstrationofcustomerbenefitsatalatertime.

14

TheprocessforgainingapprovaltouseWAPfundsforsolarismorecomplicated.Asaninitialmatter,WAPhasnotgivenblanketapprovalforthisuseoffunds;theprogramwillrevieweachrequestonaproject-by-projectbasis.Further,WAPwillonlyapprovepilotprojectsforthetimebeing.TherequesttoincludeSolarPVasanapprovedmeasureinthestate’sWAPprogrammustbesubmittedtothestate’sDOEprogramofficer.AsoutlinedinMemorandum024,thefirststepinmakingarequestistoshowthatapilotprojectcanachieveaSIRof1.0orbettersomewhereinthestate.AftergettingconfirmationoftheSIRanalysis,thestatemustsubmitapilotprojecttoWAP,anditmustbeincludedinthestateplan.Thepilotprojectapplicationmustdemonstratewithafairamountofgranularitythattheprojectwillbecost-effectiveandthattheplanninghastakenintoaccountvariousfinancialandequipmentrequirementsandconsiderations.Attheendoftheapprovalprocess,WAPmaygrantapprovalforapproximately$3,600tobeusedforsolar,foreachhome(orunitinamultifamilydwelling).Accordingly,WAPexpectsthatapilotprojectapplicationwillincludeothersourcesoffunding.Therequestforsolarapprovalcanbemadeatanytime,buttheintentiontoimplementaSolarPilotProgramshouldbeincludedintheAnnualPlanSubmissiontoDOE.STATESUTILIZINGENERGYASSISTANCEFORSOLAROregonOregonisintheearlystagesofattemptingtouseenergyassistancedollarsforsolarinstallationsinlow-incomecommunities.ThisprojectisbeingpursuedthroughtheCommunityActionPartnershipofOregon(CAPO),whichistheassociationforcommunityactionagenciesin36countiesacrossOregon.Theproposedprojectisscheduledfor2018andincludesutilizingWAPfundingforapprovalsinOregon’sstateplan.Oregonhighlydependsonoilforheatinghomes.Oilforheatingishighlyinefficientsotheideaofutilizingenergyassistancefundsforsolarwouldnotonlyproveefficient,butalsoresultinsavingsforthetaxpayer,provebeneficialfortheenvironment,andoffersavingsforlow-incomefamilies.CAPOwillbeimplementingtheirproposedprojectthroughaffordablemultifamilyhousingusingcommunitysolar.CAPO’sproposedprojectwillcostapproximately$211,000tobuildandwillbean85,000kWsystemthatwillbenefit36housingunits.UsingtheexistingcommunityactionnetworkisprovingkeytoOregon’sproposaltoleverageprivatefunds.Thepublic/privatepartnershipOregonispursuingposesbothbenefittotenants,buildingowners,developers,andtaxpayers.Thebenefitsforthebuildingownerwouldallowfortaxcreditstobeappliedtotheprimaryloanonthepropertyandhelpreducetaxliability.ThebenefitstothedeveloperwouldbethroughreceivingtheInvestorTaxCredit(ITC)andrequiresadeveloperwithataxappetite.Thethird-partydeveloperisessentialtothisprojectbecauseofthegapfundingneededtocovercoststhatenergyassistancedollarswon’tcover.Benefitstothetenantcouldresultinsavingsbypayinglessthantherequired30%oftheirincomefortheirHUDhousing,andthetaxpayerbenefitsoverthelongtermbecauseofthereturnovera20yearperiodbeinggreaterthantheinvestedamount.

ColoradoTheColoradoEnergyOfficesuccessfullyutilizedenergyassistancefundsthroughtheWAPprogramtoimplementsingle-familyrooftopsolarandsolarcommunityprojects.Indoingso,ColoradowasthefirststatetoinstallsolaraspartofWAP.WhentheDepartmentofEnergyauthorizedthestatestointegraterooftopsolarintoweatherizationservices,theDOEgavestatesachancetodemonstratefeasibilityin

15

combiningrenewableenergywithweatherization.Theprojectwantedtoaccomplishthreegoals:addressenergyburdenbyreducingbothhomeheatingandelectriccosts,enhanceopportunitiesfordistributedgeneration,anddemonstratetheviabilityforrooftopsolarforlow-incomefamilies.Sincethereisayear-rounddependenceonenergyassistanceinColorado,bothheatingandcoolingneededtobeaddressedtoreduceColorado’sdependenceonnaturalgas.Colorado’suseofenergyassistancefundsforsolarwasrootedinadata-drivenapproach.TheColoradoEnergyOffice(CEO)launchedresearchthatexaminedclientdataof5000recipientsofweatherizationservices.Aftertabulatingtheresults,theCEOwantedtoknowhowcouldtheyassistlow-incomecustomerstosaveevenmoremoneytoaddresstheirotherneeds.Theyturnedtosolarasapossiblemechanism.SIRmodelingshowedthecost-effectivenessofsolarelectricsystemswasabove1meaningtheprojectpaidforitselfoveritslifetime.Byinstalling3.5kWand4.5kWsystems,totalgenerationofeachsystemonaperhomebasisexhibitedahighreturnoninvestmentovera25-yearperiodresultinginsavingsbetween$400and600dollarsperyearperhousehold.Achievingthismetricwastheresultofbargainingwithutilitycompaniestoreceivethefullnetmeteringcredit.Goingforward,fundsforrenewableenergyprojectsarecappedundertheWAPrulesat$3598foralow-incomesolarproject.Thiscapcouldproveproblematicbypotentiallylimitingtheexpansionofsingle-familyhomesolarsystems.Additionally,thiscouldsteerWAPdollarstowardscommunitysolarastheprimarymodelforlow-incomesolarforenergyassistancerecipients.Inthefinalanalysis,theCEOhasanextensivenetworkofweatherizationprovidersandutilitypartnersthatservicedcountiesacrossthestate.RelationshipswiththeEnergyResourceCenter,ColoradoSpringsUtilities,andotheragenciesprovedinvaluable.Includingsolarinstallations,theprojectalsoprovidedthehostofweatherizationservicestothesefamiliessuchasinsulation,airsealing,stormwindows,low-flowshowerheads,LEDbulbs,andotherenergyefficiencymeasures.FundingforthisprojectcamenotonlyfromWAPalone.TheCEOgrantedmoniesforgapfinancinginconjunctionwithenergyassistancedollars.Movingforward,toreachthestate’s20percentrenewablegoalby2020,tobetterassistlow-incomefamilies,andtobetterutilizeenergyassistancefunding,theimplementationofsolarusingenergyassistanceprovestobeavaluablestrategytoallowlow-incomecustomersseerenewablebenefits.CaliforniaHistorically,Californiahasbeenattheforefrontofinnovativeenergysolutionsandtypicallyhaveenactedleading-edgeenergypoliciesthataremorehighlycreativethanthefederalgovernment.InCalifornia’spursuittocreatelow-incomesolaraccess,energyassistancedollarswereusedasapartoftheinitiative.The“SolarforAllCalifornia”programwascreatedin2010andused$14.7millionofLIHEAPdollarstoinvestintheinstallationofsolarphotovoltaicpanelsforlow-incomefamilies.Thepilotprogramwrappedupattheendof2012andgreatlysurpassedoriginalgoals,andestimatesforthenumberoflow-incomehouseholdsreachedandtheamountofrenewableenergygenerated.Thetotalnumberofhouseholdsbenefittingfromtheprogramnearlytripledthedepartment’soriginalgoalsetin2010,whichwastoreach500low-incomefamilies.ThemoniesusedforthisinitiativewereLIHEAPdollars,whichallowedforleveragingofprivatefundsthroughthecommitmentofpublicfundswhichlessenstheriskfortheprivatesector.ThegoalsforthesolarforallweretodeveloppartnershipstoprovidesolarPVsystemswithnoloans,liens,orout-of-pocketcoststolow-incomehouseholds;toprioritizeenergyefficiencytofurtherreducetheenergy

16

consumptionofeachlow-incomehomebeforeinstallingsolar,withtheaddedkickerofprovidingjobstobecomesolarinstallers.TheDepartmentofCommunityServicesandDevelopment,theLIHEAPadministeringagencyinCalifornia,leveragedanadditional$5.3millionthroughotherpartnerships.California’sDepartmentofCommunityServicesandDevelopmentpartneredwithanetworkofprivate,non-profit,andlocalgovernmentcommunityactionorganizationsdedicatedtohelpinglow-incomefamilieswhichallowedforeffectiveleveragingofLIHEAPinfrastructuretolocatelow-incomecommunitiesandfamilies.MinnesotaRREALknowsthatenergyassistanceisanimportantsocialservicebutalsocontendsthatitdoesn’tprovidelong-termsolutionsforenergyburden.Over$150millionisspenteveryyearinMinnesotapayingenergybills,butitfailstoaddresscausesanddoesn’tempowerlow-incomefamiliesbygivingthemachoiceonwheretheirenergycomesfromcreatingarenewabledivide.Recently,RREALcommissioned200kWof100percentlow-incomecommunitysolarwiththeenergyproductionbeingdistributedthroughthetribalLIHEAPserviceprovider.Forgingthispathhastakenaconcentratedefforttoengagecommunityactionagencies,localgovernmentagencies,utilities,andpolicy-makers.RREAL,throughtheircurrentmodel,teamswithcommunityactionagenciestobuildsolarelectricalsystemsonlow-incomehomesandinitiatesfundraisingeffortsfortheseinstallations.Thoughtheydon’treceiveenergyassistancedollarsforinstallingsolarelectricsystems,theypartnerwithcommunityactionorganizationsthatadministerenergyassistancedollarsasameansofcustomeracquisition.RREALrecognizedthatcommunityactionassociationsaretheperfectvehicletoscalelow-incomesolarbecauseoftheinstitutionalwisdomofthemhaveidentifiedover93%oflow-incomefamiliesinover43districtsacrosstheUnitedStates.Additionally,RREALhasforgedapublic-privatepartnershipwiththeenergyassistanceinfrastructureandisdeliveringbenefitstoenergyassistancerecipienthouseholdsdependentondeliveredfuels.Atribalenergyassistanceserviceproviderownsthe200kWsysteminstalledbyRREAL,andtheenergyassistanceprogramisusingtheirtypicalintakeprocesstodedicateacertainpercentageoftheproductiontofamiliesthatqualify.Morecritically,RREAL’sapproachisrootedintheenergyassistancestatute.LIHEAPpolicyexplainsthateverystatecanredirect15percentofitstotalLIHEAPallocationtoeffortsthatreducedependenceonenergyassistance.Typically,this15percenthasbeensimpletransfersfromenergyassistancetoWAP.RREALproposestakingapercentageofthe15percentforsolardevelopmentinLIHEAP.TakingthisportionwouldbeofnoconsequencetoWAPandwouldextenditsservicestolow-incomecommunities.RREAL’sfinancingstrategies,specificallyforgapfunding,pursuedbyRREALaredrawingoninnovativepublic/privatepartnerships.SocialImpactBondsarepromotedasacreativetooltoaddressthisneed.Thesearemarketinstrumentsusedtobringpublicsectorinnovatorswithprivatesectorplayersforadvancingcausesthataregoodforsociety.Thesebondshaveproventheirvalueinvariousareassuchasrecidivism,childcare,andjobtraining.Ifagreedmetricsaremetforaproject,thenthepublicsectorisobligatedtoadoptthefinancingmodelfromtheindustry.RREALisbettingthatSocialImpactBondscouldprovideacriticalelementforgapfundingtoshowstateinnovationresultinginthepersuasionofenergyassistanceofficerstoexpandsolardevelopmentswhilequicklyresultinginaSIRofabove1.

17

OtherUsesofEnergyAssistanceFundsAlthoughtherearelessthanahandfulofstatesusingenergyassistancedollarsforsolarphotovoltaicinstallationstoservelow-incomecommunities,othersareexploringtheoption.StatessuchasPennsylvania,Wisconsin,Florida,Oklahoma,andArizonaareusingtheirweatherizationagenciestoexaminefeasibilityandconductpilotprogramsforsolarassistanceintheformofsolarairheatingsystemsandsolarwaterheatingsystems.Thesesystemsareshowingpromisetoreducedependenceonenergyassistancedollarsandprovidingsavingstocustomers.KEYTRENDSOBSERVEDBETWEENSTATESDespitethevariouspathsofstatesusingorattemptingtouseenergyassistancefunds,therearecommonalitiesbetweenthemthatotherstatesshouldconsiderwhenapproachingsolarwithintheirenergyassistanceprograms.

• Policiesfornetmetering-Netmeteringandvirtualnetmeteringarethedrivingforcebehindsolar.Withoutpoliciesfornetmetering,itbecomesdifficulttoextractmonetarybenefitsfromsolar.Advocatingfornetmeteringpoliciesthatreimburseattheretailrategiveslow-incomesolarthebestchancetoscale.

• Partneringwithutilities-Partneringwithutilitiescanprovedifficult,butitisnecessary.Utilitieshavetheinfrastructuretohelpconstructdemoprojects,offertechnicalassistanceduringtheconstructionprocess,andmanagethesolarsystem’sconnectionafterinstallation.

• CommunityActionOrganizationPartnerships-Thesepartnershipsaresomeofthemostvaluableonesneededtogetlow-incomesolarcommunitiesmobilizedforsolar.Communityactionorganizationsaredeeplyrootedlow-incomecommunitiesandtypicallyprovideservicesthatlow-incomepopulationsutilizesuchashousingsecurity,education,andjobtraining.Knowledgeofhowtoaccesslow-incomecommunities,wheretheyarecouldaidsignificantlyinclientacquisition.Stateofficialsengagingcommunitystakeholderscouldallowforeasierimplementationofsolarinitiatives.Theseorganizationscouldbedifficulttolocatebutfindingthemwouldprovebeneficial.

• Public/PrivatePartnerships-Financingforlow-incomesolarinitiativeshavenotyetfullymatured.Becauseofthis,findingdevelopers,philanthropicorganizationsandfundingentitieswillbeneeded.Thesepartnershipshelpultimatelywithgapfundingforlow-incomesolarprojects.Energyassistancemoneydoesn'tcovertheentirecostofaprojectsodevelopingthesepartnershipsforfinancinganddealstructuringisnecessary.

• Relationshipswithenergyofficials-HavingrelationshipswithenergyofficialsinLIHEAP,WAP,HUDothergovernmentalorganizationswillreaptherewardswhenattemptingtomaneuverpolicyroadblocks.Evenwithotherstateenergyoffices,buildingalineofcommunicationwillprovevitalforgettingstarted.

• Theneedtodemonstratemeasurablesavingsinenergycosts-OneofthemostimportanttoolsinthisprocessistheSIRcalculator.Beingabletoproduceavalueofoneorgreaterwillsignificantlyaidingettingenergyofficialstoapprovedemoprojects.Beingpersuasivewithcost-effectivenesscanshowaremarkableproficiencyatenergyassistance.

• Accesstostateutilityrenewablefunds-Increasingly,asstatesadoptenergyrenewableenergyrequirements,utilitiesarebeingdirectedtocollectfundsfromratepayersandcreateafundtoprovidedollarsforincrementalcostsbetweenrenewablesandconventionalfuels.Low-incomecustomersarecontributingtothesefundsbutarenotreceivingbenefitsfromthem.Becauseofthis,petitionsandpoliciesforsetasidesforlow-incomeclientscanbearguedandwonforlow-

18

incomespecificprojectswiththesemonies.Thesefundscanassistwithgapfundingforavarietyofsolarprojectsinlow-incomecommunities.

Stateshavetheauthoritytouseenergyassistantdollarswithapprovalfromfederalregulatorybodies,particularitytheDepartmentofEnergy(DOE).Forstateenergyofficerswantingtoincorporatesolarintheirstateenergyplans,itiswithintheregulationstodoso,butitwillrequiredemonstratingcost-effectivenessinordertomoveforward.Thecostofsolarhasdroppedover60percentinthelasttenyearsandthereisnowgreaterinfrastructuretosupportsolar.Moreinvestmentandfinancingstructuresarebecomingavailabletosupportlow-incomesolarthusmakingentryintosolarindustrymorestable.Additionally,regulationsandpoliciesfromthefederal,stateandlocallevelsareincreasinglybeingadoptedforlow-incomecommunities.Solartechnologies,thoughinitsinfancy,hasthepotentialtorevolutionizesociety.Usingexistingpolicies,thereisagreatopportunityforcommunitieswhoarehavebeenhistoricallymarginalizedtoexperiencethebenefitsofsolartechnologies.RECOMMENDATIONSFORSTATEENERGYOFFICERS

1. Leveragestateandfederalenergypolicytosupportlow-incomesolardeployment.Planscurrentlyexistinmanystatesthatsupportrenewableenergy.Taxincentives,netmetering,staterenewableportfoliostandards(RPSs),andotherfinancialincentivescanallbeadaptedtosupportlow-incomesolardeployment.Thestatesmentionedintheexamplesabovehaveusedtheseprogramstoprovideincentivesforlow-incomesolar.

2. Developafinancialmodelthatworksforlow-incomesolar.Whentheretailsolarsectorgrew,itwastheleasingmodel(nomoneydownandaleasingperiodof20yearscoveringinstallationcosts)andthePowerPurchaseAgreement(thecompanyownsthepanels,installsthemandsellsgeneratedpowertothehomeowner)thatallowedthesectortobecomeaffordableformiddle-incomefamilies.Additionally,taxincentivesforhomeownersanddevelopersmadetheindustrymoredesirableforacriticalmass.Forlow-incomesolartodevelop,similarpoliciesandfinancialmodelsthattakeintoaccountfinancialbarriersforlow-incomefamiliesneedtobecreatedinconjunctionwithfederal/stateinitiatives.Socialimpactbondsarebecomingmorepopularinexploringeconomicmodelsthatworkforthissegment.

3. Knowfederalenergyassistancepolicies.Beingabletoarticulateanddecipherenergyassistancepolicycangoalongwayinimplementinglow-incomesolarwithfederalenergydollars.Atthefederallevel,havingafirmgraspofpolicycancompensateforchangesinleadershipwithinLIHEAPandWAPandprovideahedgeiftheadministrationhassentimentsagainstusingenergyassistanceforsolar.

4. Buildrelationshipswithstateenergyofficesandcommunityadvocacygroups.Havinganetworkofenergyexperts,governmentofficials,programadministrators,stateenergyofficers,especiallythosehaveusedenergyassistanceforsolar,andcommunityalliesthatprovideearlystakeholderengagementcanhelpbothensureenrollmentshowtotroubleshootpotentialissuesintheprocess.

19

References30FactsandResourcesforLowIncomeSolarPower.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://bill-solar.squarespace.com/30-facts-and-resources-for-low-income-solar-power/AHandbookforStates:IncorporatingRenewableEnergyIntoStateCompliancePlansforEPA'sCleanPowerPlan(Vol.1,pp.1-184,Rep.).(2015).Washington,DC:AmericanWindEnergyAssociation&TheSolarEnergyIndustriesAssociation.doi:http://www.seia.org/sites/default/files/Handbook%20for%20States%20final_0.pdfAdministrationAnnouncesNearly$8BillioninWeatherizationFunding.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/news/mar09/wxfunds.htmAdvancingSolarEnergyUse-Nonprofit.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttp://www.thesolarfoundation.org/Andorka,F.(2017,April19).Report:Middle-incomehomeownersmakeup70%ofsolarcustomers(with3criticalcharts).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://pv-magazine-usa.com/2017/04/19/report-middle-income-homeowners-make-up-70-of-solar-customers-with-3-critical-charts/BendixAnderson|Sep14,2015.(2015,September17).SolarPowerIsWithinReachforMultifamilyOwners,Developers.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttp://www.nreionline.com/green-real-estate-investment/solar-power-within-reach-multifamily-owners-developersBovarnick,B.,&Banks,D.(2014,September23).StatePoliciestoIncreaseLow-IncomeCommunities’AccesstoSolarPower(Rep.).doi:https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/LowIncomeSolar-brief.pdfChandler,A.(2016,June08).WherethePoorSpendMoreThan10PercentofTheirIncomeonEnergy.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/energy-poverty-low-income-households/486197/CaliforniaMultifamilyAffordableSolarHousingProgramBenefittingBothOwnersandTenants(pp.1-8,CaseStudy).(2017).EnvironmentalProtectionAgency.doi:https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/mash_case_study_6-1-16_508.pdfCoggin,J.(n.d.).ColoradoBecomesFirstStatetoInstallSolarasPartofWeatherizationAssistanceProgram.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://energy.gov/eere/articles/colorado-becomes-first-state-install-solar-part-weatherization-assistance-programCoughlin,J.,Grove,J.,&Irvine,L.(2012).AGuidetoCommunitySharedSolar:Utility,Private,andNonprofitProjectDevelopment(pp.1-76,Publication).Washington,DC:U.S.DepartmentofEnergy.doi:https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/54570.pdfDanBoyceandJordanWirfs-Brock.(2016,December28).HighUtilityCostsForceHardDecisionsForThePoor.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttp://insideenergy.org/2016/05/08/high-utility-costs-force-hard-decisions-for-the-poor/

20

DeForest,B.(n.d.).Financing-SolarPhotovoltaic.RetrievedSeptember10,2017,fromhttp://sites.lafayette.edu/egrs352-sp14-pv/economics/financing/Dobos,H.,&Artale,E.(2015).AnalysisOfTheFulfillmentOftheLow-IncomeCarve-OutForCommunitySolarSubscriberOrganizations(pp.1-45,Rep.).Denver,CO:LotusEngineeringandSustainabilityLLC.doi:https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/atoms/files/Low-Income%20Community%20Solar%20Report-CEO.pdfEnergyAssistance.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember10,2017,fromhttps://www.benefits.gov/benefits/browse-by-category/category/27FACTSHEET:AdministrationAnnouncesNewInitiativetoIncreaseSolarAccessforAllAmericans.(2015,July7).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/07/07/fact-sheet-administration-announces-new-initiative-increase-solar-accessFACTSHEET.(n.d.).SolarBenefitsAllConsumers.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttp://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-benefits-all-consumersGettingItRight:WeatherizationandEnergyEfficiencyAreGoodInvestments.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://energy.gov/eere/articles/getting-it-right-weatherization-and-energy-efficiency-are-good-investmentsHoffman,I.,&Leon,W.(2017,March23).Low-IncomeSolar,Part1:LessonsLearnedfromLow-IncomeEnergyEfficiencyPrograms.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttp://www.cesa.org/webinars/low-income-solar-lessons-learned-from-energy-efficiency-programsJossi,F.(2016,August15).Q&A:Howsolarcouldchangethefaceoflow-incomeenergyassistance.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttp://midwestenergynews.com/2016/08/15/qa-how-solar-could-change-the-face-of-low-income-energy-assistance/Kowalski,K.M.(2016,March15).Report:Bigbenefitspossiblewithsolaronlow-incomehomes.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttp://midwestenergynews.com/2016/03/15/report-big-benefits-possible-with-more-low-income-solar-energy/Kueny,K.(2017).AffordableHousingandSolarActionPlan(pp.1-5,Tech.).Salem,OR:TheCommunityActionPartnershipofOregon.Landey,A.,&Rzad,Y.(2017,February21).ApproachestoLow-IncomeEnergyAssistanceFundinginSelectedStates.RetrievedSeptember10,2017,fromhttps://aspe.hhs.gov/basic-report/approaches-low-income-energy-assistance-funding-selected-statesLIHEAP101WhatYouNeedtoKnow(Rep.).(2014,March).doi:https://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/webfiles/docs/LIHEAPprimer.pdfLIHEAPandWAPFunding.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember10,2017,fromhttps://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/Funding/funding.htm

21

Low-andModerate-IncomeSolarPolicyBasics.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://www.nrel.gov/technical-assistance/lmi-solar.htmlLow-IncomeSolarRoundtable(pp.1-20,Roundtable).(2014).Washington,DC:GWSolarInstitute&DCSun.doi:http://www.dcsun.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/09/Low-Income-Solar-Roundtable-BACKGROUNDER-4.9.14.pdfLudwig,V.,Wolfe,M.,Gremmert,J.,&Jalom,W.(2015).BetterTogether:LinkingandLeveragingEnergyProgramsforLow-IncomeHouseholds(pp.1-35,WebcastTranscript).EnvironmentalProtectionAgency.doi:https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-06/documents/nov-19-2015-transcript_lowincome1.pdfMatasci,S.(2017,July31).HowSolarPanelCost&EfficiencyHaveChangedOverTime|EnergySage.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttp://news.energysage.com/solar-panel-efficiency-cost-over-time/McGregor,C.(2016,November18).NewAnalysisShowsNationalPotentialforSolarPowerinLow-IncomeCommunities.RetrievedSeptember10,2017,fromhttps://energy.gov/eere/articles/new-analysis-shows-national-potential-solar-power-low-income-communitiesMNGroupHonoredforLow-IncomeSolarWork.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/news/sept13/mnsolar.htmNASCSP,P.B.(2016,August15).LIHEAPandWAP-TwoSidesoftheSameCoin.RetrievedSeptember10,2017,fromhttps://thestateofpoverty.org/2016/08/15/liheap-and-wap-two-sides-of-the-same-coin/NationalAssociationfortheAdvancementofColoredPeople,&Wilson,A.(n.d.).CoalBlooded:PuttingProfitsBeforePeople(pp.1-103,Rep.).Baltimore,MD.doi:http://action.naacp.org/page/-/Coal%20Blooded%20Report%2011.15.2012.pdfNewReportShinesLightonInstalledCostsandDeploymentBarriersforResidentialSolarPVwithEnergyStorage.(2017,March28).RetrievedSeptember10,2017,fromhttps://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2017/new-report-shines-light-on-installed-costs-and-deployment-barriers-for-residential-solar-pv-with-energy-storage.htmlNunez,C.(2015,October02).SolarEnergySeesEye-PoppingPriceDrops.RetrievedJuly09,2017,fromhttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/energy/2015/10/151002-solar-energy-sees-eye-popping-price-drops/Office,C.E.(2016,August23).ColoradoLaunchesFirstLow-IncomeRooftopSolarProjectwithinitsWeatherizationAssistanceProgram.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttp://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/colorado-launches-first-low-income-rooftop-solar-project-within-its-weatherization-assistance-program-300316691.htmlPerl,L.(2016).TheLIHEAPFormula(pp.1-38,Publication).Washington,DC:CongressionalResearchService.doi:https://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/webfiles/docs/2016LIHEAPFormula_0.pdf

22

ProgrammaticInformation.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttp://www.waptac.org/ProjectsBringSolarPowertoLow-IncomeHouseholds.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/news/april14/solar.htmRenewableEnergyandLIHEAP:SolarProjectsTargetEnergyBurden(Rep.).(2015,February).doi:https://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/LCIssueBriefs/solar/renewable.pdfRenewablesGainingGroundThroughStateWAP,TribalPilotPrograms.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/dereg/renews.htmResidentialEnergyAssistanceChallenge(REACH).(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember10,2017,fromhttps://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/reach.htmSabol,P.(n.d.).FromPowertoEmpowerment:PluggingLowIncomeCommunitiesIntotheCleanEnergyEconomy(Publication).doi:https://groundswell.org/frompower_to_empowerment_wp.pdfSantiago-Mosier,M.(2017,May24).UnlockingCleanEnergyinLow-IncomeCommunities.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttp://www.govtech.com/fs/Unlocking-Clean-Energy-in-Low-Income-Communities.htmlSolarAssistanceProjects.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://www.rreal.org/solar-assistance-projectsSolarforallCalifornia(Rep.).(n.d.).doi:https://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/LCIssueBriefs/solar/solarforall.pdf#search=solarSummaryforPolicymakers:BridgingtheSolarIncomeGap(pp.1-19,Workingpaper).(2014).Washington,DC:GWSolarInstitute.doi:http://solar.gwu.edu/sites/default/files/GWSI-Bridging%20the%20Solar%20Income%20Gap%20Working%20Paper.pdfSwineford,K.(2013,October29).Q&A:TheWeatherizationAssistanceProgram.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://energy.gov/eere/articles/qa-weatherization-assistance-programTargetingLIHEAPBenefits.(2010,March).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/510targ.htmUtilityAllowanceGuidebook(pp.1-117,Tech.).(2008).Washington,DC:U.S.DepartmentofHousingandUrbanDevelopment.doi:https://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/phecc/draftuaguidebook.docValentine,K.(2015,January26).MinnesotaGroupWorksToHelpLow-IncomeFamiliesGoSolar.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://thinkprogress.org/minnesota-group-works-to-help-low-income-families-go-solar-82df96f3d48eVoteSolar,GridAlternatives,&CenterForSocialInclusion.(n.d.).Low-IncomeSolarPolicyGuide(pp.1-50,Publication).doi:http://www.lowincomesolar.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Policy-Guide_9.14.16.pdf

23

Walker,C.(2013,November4).ClosingtheSolarIncomeGap.RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttp://stateenergyreport.com/2013/11/04/closing-the-solar-income-gap/WAPMemorandum024:TheUseofSolarPVintheWAP.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://energy.gov/eere/wipo/downloads/wap-memorandum-024-use-solar-pv-wapWeatherizationAssistanceProgram.(n.d.).RetrievedSeptember09,2017,fromhttps://energy.gov/eere/wipo/weatherization-assistance-program-1WeatherizationAssistanceProgram-QuestionsandAnswers(pp.1-5).(n.d.).doi:http://www.waptac.org/data/files/website_docs/briefing_book/6_questionsanswers_final.pdfWolfe,M.(2017).Low-IncomeSolarAccess:LIHEAP,WAP,andR-PACE(pp.1-17,Presentation).EnergyProgramsConsortium.doi:https://neuac.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/4C-MarkWolfe.pdf