July 9, 2015 | By Jaclyn Brandt

As solar usage grows across the United States, President Obama wants to democratize the technology.

At the announcement of the Obama Administration's new solar initiative. Credit: White House

The Obama administration has announced a program to make sure every American can have access to solar technology -- if they choose to. The program's goal is to increase access to solar, including for low- and moderate-income families -- as well as expanding opportunities to join to solar workforce.

According to President Obama, every three weeks in 2014, the United States brought as much solar online as it did the entire year of 2008. The average cost of a solar electric system has dropped by 50 percent since 2010.

But we know that our economy is strongest when every American has the tools to get ahead," the administration said in a statement. "That means just as we are working to make high-quality health care and community college more available and affordable to middle-class and low-income families, we must also work to expand opportunities for families to use cleaner sources of energy that can help households save on their utility bills."

The initiative was launched by Obama officials, as well as Congressman Cummings and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore, which includes:

• Launching a National Community Solar Partnership to unlock access to solar for the nearly 50 percent of households and businesses that are renters or do not have adequate roof space to install solar panels, including issuing a guide to Support States In Developing Community Solar Programs.
• Setting a goal to install 300 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy in federally subsidized housing, triple our original goal, and providing technical assistance to make it easier to install solar, including clarifying how to use Federal funding.
• Housing authorities, rural electric co-ops, power companies, and organizations in more than 20 states across the country are committing to put in place more than 260 solar energy projects, including projects to help low- and moderate- income communities save on their energy bills and further community solar.
• More than $520 million in independent commitments from philanthropic and impact investors, states, and cities to advance community solar or scale up solar and energy efficiency for low- and moderate- income households.
• AmeriCorps funding to deploy solar and create jobs in underserved communities.
• Expanding solar energy education and opportunities for job training.

"The solar industry is also setting its own, independent goal of becoming the most diverse sector of the U.S. energy industry," Pres. Obama said in a statement, "and a number of companies are announcing that they are taking steps to build a more inclusive solar workforce."

The initiative will affect utilities in many ways, including in the community solar program, which would give customers the option to purchase solar generation from a shared system. The programs usually save customers the upfront cost of installing solar panel, and others share costs for purchasing panels. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), 74 percent of utility-led shared solar programs offer a capacity option (kW) and 17 percent offer a generation option (kWh).

Numbers for such programs are still low -- the average number of subscribers among existing utility-led shared solar programs is 281 residential, 24 commercial, and 1 industrial -- the announcement hopes to increase this.

According to DOE, engaging local agencies along with the local utility can enable greater low-income participation in shared solar projects.

Local government should also take a lead in implementing programs for low-income customers. DOE said that every level of government should work with utilities to create solar programs through policy.

"State governments can take legislative action to encourage the development of shared solar projects, or require utilities to offer these types of projects to their customers," DOE said. "States can also facilitate shared solar by providing a neutral source of information for potential investors and subscribers to explain project structures, risks and benefits. They can encourage the development of shared solar targeted to low-income housing, small business, or other customer classes."

Local governments can encourage adoption by offering the use of public lands, and removing zoning restrictions.

"Utilities can develop shared solar projects for their customers, facilitate interconnection procedures or identify locations where shared solar developments receive preference through special incentives," DOE added.

The initiative builds upon Obama Administration's goal to train 75,000 solar workers by 2020, as well as the Solar Ready Vets program to train transitioning military personnel for careers in the solar industry at 10 military bases.

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http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/democratizing-solar-obama-plan/2015-07-09