GoSolarSF Now Accepting Applications
(July 1, 2010)
MAYOR NEWSOM ANNOUNCES GOSOLARSF NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR; HELPS DOUBLES SOLAR INSTALLATIONS IN THE CITY
New Program Changes Also Strengthen Local Workforce Requirements and Encourage Use of Local Installers
San Francisco, CA -- Mayor Gavin Newsom today announced that the City's highly successful solar initiative, GoSolarSF, is online for the new fiscal year and accepting applications beginning today. All applications postmarked July 1, 2010 or after, will be processed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). For the 2010-2011 fiscal year, the SPFUC is allocating $5 million, of which $2 million will be dedicated to low-income residential applicants. The remaining $3 million is available for all incentive levels; business, residential and non-profit. Since launching in July 2008, GoSolarSF has dramatically increased the number of solar installations in San Francisco from 795 to 1,934, and also created at least 40 new "green-collar" jobs with local companies.
"GoSolarSF has more than doubled the number of solar installations in our City and created dozens of jobs," said Mayor Gavin Newsom. "This program is literally transforming how our homes and businesses generate and consume electricity rooftop by rooftop."
Any resident or business in San Francisco that is on a meter and pays an electricity bill is eligible for the GoSolarSF incentive. To-date, the program has received 1,172 applications for a total requested amount of $10 million. Of that $10 million, $9.8 million has been reserved for approved applications and $7.4 million has already been paid to applicants. A total of over 4.3 megawatts of solar energy has been installed or will be installed shortly.
For the new fiscal year, supplemental incentives are offered for the use of installers with their principal place of business in San Francisco. In addition, in order to qualify for an incentive, applicants must contract with an installer who participates in the City's Workforce Development Program. These important program changes help ensure that GoSolarSF incentives also benefit the local economy and employ our disadvantaged local workforce. Two exceptions exist to this rule: applicants may use non-profit solar installers and still be eligible for the incentive; and applicants may use solar installer companies that have no more than three employees and also have their principal business office here in San Francisco. For more information on incentive levels or to apply, please visit www.solarsf.org.
"With GoSolarSF, solar is no longer a luxury reserved for the wealthy," said SFPUC General Manager Ed Harrington. "We've put solar in reach for many more San Franciscans and stimulated our local economy with new green jobs and a growing solar installer industry."