LMI Community Solar Resource Database
Matt Ohloff | Clean Energy States Alliance
This database was developed as a resource hub for state agencies that are working to develop and implement community solar programs for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households. The database covers the most common and critical obstacles that states face in implementing LMI community solar programs. The resources listed within this database consist of best practices, solutions, funding opportunities, tools, and more. Resources are organized based on the obstacle they relate to.
This resource was produced by the Clean Energy States Alliance based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the Solar Energy Technologies Office. It was produced as part of the National Community Solar Partnership.
The obstacles and resources compiled in this database were informed by interviews with states in the National Community Solar Partnership States Collaborative.
New resources will periodically be added to this database. If you know of a resource that exists and should be added, please email [email protected] with that resource. And if you have a resource need related to LMI community solar, please email [email protected] with that request.
Resource Details:
Date: July 14, 2023
Type: Online Directory
Topic(s): Community Solar, Low- and Moderate-Income Clean Energy, Solar PV
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Associated Project(s):
| Resource Name | Publishing Organization | Resource Type | Related Obstacles | Obstacle Categories | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wdt_ID | Resource Name | Publishing Organization | Resource Type | Related Obstacles | Obstacle Categories |
| 1 | A financial benefit-cost analysis of different community solar approaches in the Northeastern US | ScienceDirect | Educational Resource | Difficulty communicating and valuing the benefits of community solar to legislature. Need "non-partisan" talking points on community solar. | Policy, Regulatory |
| 2 | Achieving Cooperative Community Equitable Solar Sources (ACCESS) | NRECA | Educational Resource | Difficulty communicating and valuing the benefits of community solar to legislature. Need "non-partisan" talking points on community solar. Community ownership models outside of a PPA. Need additional models of community ownership and understanding of the different benefits -- is ownership most important vs community benefits, etc. |
Policy, Regulatory, Finance, Community Ownership, Technical |
| 3 | All in the Community: Using Community Solar Gardens to Bring the Benefits of Renewable Energy to Low-Income Communiti | The Georgetown Environmental Law Review | Educational Resource | Designing program to bring market-rate subscribers bill savings so there aren’t cost shifting issues between LMI subscribers and market-rate subscribers. | Policy, Program Design |
| 4 | Are You Philanthropy-Ready? How to Work with Foundations on Mission-Aligned Community Solar | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | Educational Resource | Helping CBOs and small developers access gap funding and philanthropic dollars to develop community solar. | Finance, Project Financing |
| 5 | Best Practices for Consumer Protection & Subcontractor Management | New Mexico Community Solar Program | Educational Resource | Consumer protections, especially with multiple 3rd party developers operating in a state. //Best practices for engaging small businesses and contractors. | Implementation; Program Management; Marketing, Outreach and Education |
| 6 | Climate Program Portal | Atlas Public Policy | Tool | Understanding requirements, qualifications, and deadlines for all funding opportunities available to state energy agencies. Understanding requirements, qualifications, and deadlines for all funding opportunities available to low-income serving institutions (nonprofits, affordable housing). |
Federal Incentives, Inflation Reduction Act |
| 7 | Community Outreach and Solar Equity: A Guide for States on Collaborating with Community-Based Organizations | CESA | Educational Resource | Undue burden on LMI communities and CBOs who wish to participate in rulemaking process. Involving LMI communities in program design. Identifying + partnering with CBOs to do customer engagement and community education. |
Policy, Regulatory, Program Design, Implementation, Customer Acquisition |
| 8 | Community Power Accelerator | Department of Energy | Tool | Preparing low-income serving institutions to take advantage of tax credits, other incentives for developing community solar projects. Helping CBOs and small developers access gap funding and philanthropic dollars to develop community solar. |
Federal Incentives, Inflation Reduction Act, Finance, Project Financing |
| 9 | Community Purchase Programs | Low-Income Solar Policy Guide | Educational Resource | Best practices for implementing a low-income community solar program for co-ops and municipal utilities. | Implementation, Utilities |
| 10 | Community Solar and HUD Subsidized Housing: An Overview of Current Policies, Programs and Practices and the Impact to | Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future | Educational Resource | Maintaining energy assistance benefits for LMI subscribers if they receive credits for community solar. Creating prioritization strategies to ensure equitable access. |
Customer Acquisition, Implementation, Subscriber Benefits |
| 11 | Community Solar Consolidated Billing | NASEO | Educational Resource | Consolidated billing considerations - states without consolidated billing managing bill credits properly. | Implementation, Subscriber Benefits |
| 12 | Community Solar for the Southeast Project | NC Clean Energy Technology Center | Educational Resource | Difficulty communicating and valuing the benefits of community solar to legislature. Need "non-partisan" talking points on community solar. Legislation to regulate community solar limits enforcement. Difficult to communicate benefits of net metering or virtual net metering to regulators. |
Policy, Regulatory |
| 13 | Community Solar Resource Library | Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA) | Educational Resource | Best practices for incorporating DERs into state- and city-planning. | Technical, Planning |
| 14 | Community-Owned Community Solar: Opportunities and Challenges | Environmental Law and Policy Center | Educational Resource | Community ownership models outside of a PPA. | Finance, Community Ownership |
| 15 | Design and Implementation of Community Solar Programs for Low- and Moderate-Income Custom | CESA | Educational Resource | Best practices broadly for equitable community solar programs at the regulatory level (i.e., including community ownership, workforce). Involving LMI communities in program design. |
Policy, Regulatory, Program Design |
| 16 | Energize Your Impact: How Foundations Can Accelerate Solar for LMI-Serving Community Institutions | CESA | Educational Resource | Helping CBOs and small developers access gap funding and philanthropic dollars to develop community solar. | Finance, Project Financing |
| 17 | Equitable Access to Community Solar: Program Design and Subscription Considerations | NREL | Educational Resource | Best practices for structuring LMI carveouts and costs and benefits for LMI carveouts. | Policy, Regulatory |
| 18 | Expanding Access to Community Solar for Affordable Housing Residents: Three Tips for Resident Engagement | Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future | Educational Resource | Identifying + partnering with CBOs to do customer engagement and community education. Connecting LMI subscribers with available projects. |
Implementation, Customer Acquisition |
| 19 | Expanding Solar Availability to the Low-Income Community: Learnings from the Denver Housing Authority | Solar Energies Industry Association (SEIA) | Educational Resource | Involving LMI communities in program design. | Policy, Program Design |
| 20 | Focusing the Sun: State Considerations for Designing Community Solar Policy | NREL | Educational Resource | Best practices for structuring LMI carveouts and costs and benefits for LMI carveouts. | Policy, Regulatory |
| 21 | How Community Solar Can Benefit Low- and Moderate-Income Customers | World Resources Institute (WRI) | Educational Resource | Creating prioritization strategies to ensure equitable access. | Implementation, Customer Acquisition |
| 22 | How Local Governments Can Advance Community Solar for Low- and Moderate-Income Households | World Resources Institute (WRI) | Educational Resource | Step-by-step instructions for designing a community solar program for cooperative and municipal utilities. | Policy, Program Design |
| 23 | i2X Technical Assistance | Department of Energy | Funding Opportunity | Regulations regarding interconnection, permitting and planning limit hosting capacity for DERs. | Policy, Regulatory |
| 24 | Innovative Partnerships Bring Community Solar to Low-income Households in the US | World Resources Institute (WRI) | Educational Resource | Creating LMI community solar projects that would be successful without state incentives. Community ownership models outside of a PPA. |
Finance, Project Financing, Community Ownership |
| 25 | Just Energy: Reducing Pollution, Creating Jobs Toolkit | NAACP | Educational Resource | Building capacity among CBOs, nonprofits for community ownership | Technical, Community Ownership |
| 26 | Justice40 Accelerator | Justice40 Accelerator | Funding Opportunity | Preparing low-income serving institutions to take advantage of tax credits, other incentives for developing community solar projects. | Federal Incentives, Inflation Reduction Act |
| 27 | Keys Elements to Consider for a Low- and Moderate- Income Community Solar Project | NASEO | Educational Resource | Step-by-step instructions for designing a community solar program for cooperative and municipal utilities. | Policy, Program Design |
| 28 | https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/local-government-guide-solar-deployment | Department of Energy | Educational Resource | Step-by-step instructions for designing a community solar program for cooperative and municipal utilities. | Policy, Program Design |
| 29 | Low- and Moderate-Income Community Solar Policies | NREL | Educational Resource | Educating and building trust with LMI customers on benefits of community solar. Difficulty communicating and valuing the benefits of community solar to legislature. Need "non-partisan" talking points on community solar. Best practices for structuring LMI carveouts and costs and benefits for LMI carveouts. |
Implementation; Marketing, Outreach, and Education; Policy; Regulatory |
| 30 | Low-Income Clean Energy Connector | Department of Energy | Tool | Connecting LMI subscribers with available projects. | Implementation, Customer Acquisition |
| 31 | Low-Income Community Solar: Utility Return Considerations for Electric Cooperatives | NREL | Educational Resource | Best practices for implementing a low-income community solar program for co-ops and municipal utilities. | Implementation, Utilities |
| 32 | Low-Income Solar Policy Guide | Low-Income Solar Policy Guide | Educational Resource | Best practices broadly for equitable community solar programs at the regulatory level (i.e., including community ownership, workforce). Need additional models of community ownership and understanding of the different benefits -- is ownership most important vs community benefits, etc. |
Policy, Regulatory, Technical, Community Ownership |
| 33 | Low-Income Solar Policy Guidelines and Sample Bill Language | Low-Income Solar Policy Guide | Educational Resource | Best practices broadly for equitable community solar programs at the regulatory level (i.e., including community ownership, workforce). | Policy, Regulatory |
| 34 | Modeling the Cost of LMI Community Solar Participation: Preliminary Results | NREL | Educational Resource | Best practices for structuring LMI carveouts and costs and benefits for LMI carveouts. Designing program to bring market-rate subscribers bill savings so there aren’t cost shifting issues between LMI subscribers and market-rate subscribers. |
Policy, Regulatory, Program Design |
| 35 | National Community Solar Partnership Technical Assistance Engagement Summaries | Department of Energy | Educational Resource | Income verification methods need to be accurate without creating undue burden on subscribers. Community ownership models outside of a PPA. |
Implementation, Subscriber Benefits, Finance, Community Ownership |
| 36 | On-Bill Recovery/On-Bill Financing | Low-Income Solar Policy Guide | Educational Resource | Creating LMI community solar projects that would be successful without state incentives. Consolidated billing considerations - states without consolidated billing managing bill credits properly. |
Finance, Project Financing, Implementation, Subscriber Benefits |
| 37 | Putting Research to Action: Integrating Collaborative Governance and Community-Engaged Research for Community Solar | MDPI | Educational Resource | Involving LMI communities in program design. Identifying + partnering with CBOs to do customer engagement and community education. |
Policy, Program Design, Implementation, Consumer Acquisition |
| 38 | Recommendations on Automatic Qualification and Community Engagement for State Policy-Enabled Low- and Moderate-Income Community Solar Programs | Vote Solar | Educational Resource | Income verification methods need to be accurate without creating undue burden on subscribers. | Implementation, Subscriber Benefits |
| 39 | Report: Renewable Energy Integration & Optimization | NREL | Tool | Step-by-step instructions for designing a community solar program for cooperative and municipal utilities. | Policy, Program Design |
| 40 | Research Report: Analysis of Solar Project Finance Research | Groundswell | Educational Resource | Creating LMI community solar projects that would be successful without state incentives. | Finance, Project Financing |
| 41 | Research Report: Customer Experience for Low- and Moderate-Income Community Solar Subscribers | Groundswell | Educational Resource | Best practices for program evaluation (i.e., ensure bill savings achieved and consumer protections met). | Implementation, Program Management |
| 42 | Research Report: The Growth of U.S. Community Solar Serving Low- and Moderate-Income Households | Groundswell | Educational Resource | Creating LMI community solar projects that would be successful without state incentives. | Finance, Project Financing |
| 43 | Shared Renewable Energy for Low- and Moderate-Income Consumers: Policy Guidelines and Model Provis | Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) | Educational Resource | Best practices broadly for equitable community solar programs at the regulatory level (i.e., including community ownership, workforce). | Policy, Regulatory |
| 44 | State Approaches to Intervenor Compensation | National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) | Educational Resource | Undue burden on LMI communities and CBOs who wish to participate in rulemaking process. | Policy, Regulatory |
| 45 | States’ Strategies for Working with Low-Income Community Groups on Solar | CESA | Educational Resource | Identifying + partnering with CBOs to do customer engagement and community education. | Implementation, Customer Acquisition |
| 46 | Summary of State Approaches to Low-income Community Solar, by Program, Carveout, Incentive | Low-Income Solar Policy Guide | Tool | Best practices for structuring LMI carveouts and costs and benefits for LMI carveouts. | Policy, Regulatory |
| 47 | System Advisor Model (SAM) | NREL | Tool | Designing program to bring market-rate subscribers bill savings so there aren’t cost shifting issues between LMI subscribers and market-rate subscribers. Step-by-step instructions for designing a community solar program for cooperative and municipal utilities. |
Policy, Program Design |
| 48 | Technical Assistance Fund | CEG | Funding Opportunity | Preparing low-income serving institutions to take advantage of tax credits, other incentives for developing community solar projects. | Federal Incentives, Inflation Reduction Act |
| 49 | The Municipal Utility Community Solar Workbook | American Public Power Association | Educational Resource | Step-by-step instructions for designing a community solar program for cooperative and municipal utilities. Best practices for implementing a low-income community solar program for co-ops and municipal utilities. |
Policy, Program Design, Implementation, Utilities |
| 50 | The People's Justice40+ Community Benefit Playbook | Emerald Cities Collaborative | Educational Resource | Understanding requirements, qualifications, and deadlines for all funding opportunities available to low-income serving institutions (nonprofits, affordable housing). Understanding requirements, qualifications, and deadlines for all funding opportunities available to state energy agencies (VA). How to guarantee community benefits to the location of a project. |
Federal Incentives, Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Technical, Siting and Interconnection |
| 51 | Unlocking Solar for Low- and Moderate-Income Residents: A Matrix of Financing Options by Resident, Provider, and Housing Type | NREL | Tool | Creating LMI community solar projects that would be successful without state incentives. | Finance, Project Financing |
| 52 | Up to the Challenge: Communities Deploy Solar in Underserved Markets | NREL | Educational Resource | Best practices broadly for equitable community solar programs at the regulatory level (i.e., including community ownership, workforce). | Policy, Regulatory |
| 53 | What Nonprofits Need to Know about the Investment Tax Credit | CEG | Educational Resource | Preparing low-income serving institutions to take advantage of tax credits, other incentives for developing community solar projects. | Federal Incentives, Inflation Redution Act |