June 20, 2008

San Francisco, CA, USA: Mayor Newsom Signs New Solar Program Legislation

San Francisco's Mayor Newsom has signed in to law a new solar incentive program for the city.

To encourage more installations of solar power, the City and County of San Francisco will now offer incentives to City residents and businesses to install solar power on their properties. The incentive program, GoSolarSF, coupled with federal tax credits and the California Solar Initiative – a rebate program sponsored by the State of California – could pay half the cost or more of a solar power system installed in San Francisco.

The program was announced by Mayor Gavin Newsom and Assessor Phil Ting in December 2007 and passed by the Board of Supervisors in June 2008.

Anyone or any business in San Francisco that is on a meter and pays an electricity bill will be eligible for an incentive payment from the City.

GoSolarSF offers incentives ranging from $3,000 to $6,000 for residents and up to $10,000 for businesses. Low-income residents can qualify for an additional $5,000. For the first year of the program, non-profit organizations and multi-unit, non-profit residential buildings will be eligible for enhanced, substantial payments. San Francisco incentive payments will not be more than the net cost of a solar installation after federal and state incentives.

The incentive structure including the higher rebate levels for PV systems installed by San Francisco based system integrators.

"Less than 1,000 rooftops in San Francisco have solar installed," said legislative co-sponsor and champion Supervisor Dufty. "Not only will this program significantly expand solar in the City, but it will also provide much-needed meaningful employment to the workers being trained to join the new green economy."

This program will utilize $3 million of funding available immediately to implement the program, with an additional $1.5 million in funding for low-income residents and non-profits to install solar.