APS customers across the state are now benefiting from APS Solar Communities, a new program making renewable energy more accessible to those who otherwise may not have the financial means to go solar. Designed specifically for limited- and moderate-income customers, APS Solar Communities approved participants agree to have a rooftop solar system installed at no cost. Customers then begin receiving a monthly $30 bill credit from APS while helping to contribute to the company’s 50% clean energy portfolio.
APS is collaborating with Arizona-based solar installers Arizona Solar Concepts, Discover Energy Solutions, Harmon Solar, Sunny Energy and Southface Solar on this program to put rooftop solar systems on qualifying customers’ residences. The systems will be maintained by APS – an approach modeled on the award-winning APS Solar Partner program and designed during the company’s 2016 rate review process. Participating single-family residential customers will receive $360 per year in monthly bill credits for 20 years, saving $7,200 per household during the life of the program.
“Our customers, community and economy, deserve innovative energy programs, and that’s exactly what Solar Communities delivers,” said Marc Romito, APS director of customer technology. “With an investment of $10 million to $15 million per year for the next three years, we look forward to seeing some of our customers, who otherwise wouldn’t have access to solar, receive the benefits of renewable energy.”
The Solar Communities program will install solar systems on single-family houses with west- and southwest-facing roofs, which offer the greatest potential to generate energy during the late-afternoon and early-evening hours between 3 and 8 p.m. when customers use the most electricity.
“The solar panels installed under this program will be facing southwest and west to produce energy when customers need it most,” said Kent Walter, APS manager of customer technology. “This program also will help us conduct research on integrating more renewable energy without compromising reliability. Solar Communities creates an option for more customers to go solar, while generating new projects for our local installation partners bringing positives on many levels.”
To qualify for APS Solar Communities, single-family households must be certified limited-income (at or below 200% of federal poverty level), or moderate-income (below 100%of median household income in Arizona). Other qualifying factors include roof size, orientation and structural integrity to accommodate a system. The size of residential systems will range from 4 to 8 kilowatts. For more information about APS Solar Communities and to apply for the program, visit aps.com/solarcommunities.
New item from APS
Joey Sabin says
The meager $30 “credit” for the rent of a rooftop is embarrassingly ridiculous, especially in light of the fact that APS makes incredible amounts of money, and the homeowner gains absolutely NO benefit from those same panels. Add this to the already manipulative way APS forces homeowners to function if they try to install non-APS solar, and one wonders if they even own the rights to their own homes any longer. It would be wonderful to simply be free of the utility altogether and go strictly solar, but APS has no intention of ever letting anyone out of their price hiking, rip-off, complete controlling grip!
Tamicka says
I agree. You dont own the panels and APS will not tell you what happens after the twenty years are up. I am sure they will receive a bunch of credits and the homeowner gets hardly anything. I would rather own the panels myself then let them have control of a permanent fixture on your home. There is gray area after those twenty years are up. I asked APS this question and APS did not have an answer for the question.
Mary Lou Rösales says
Kelsey,
My name is Mary Lou Rosales and am Director of a NonProfit Community Action Human Resources Agency. We provide utility assistance as well as other programs in Pinal county. .
We also put out a newsletter. May we place this article in our newsletter.
Kelsey Misbrener says
Hi Mary Lou, yes, you can put it in your newsletter if you cite that it’s from Solar Power World magazine, or if it’s an online newsletter, link back to this article.