Solar keeps the affordable in affordable housing

Solar panels on apartment building roofs are becoming a way to hold down costs in affordable housing, according to industry voices tracking the trend. Rob Crauderueff of Crauderueff Solar says rooftop solar makes financial sense for multifamily buildings, especially in cities, because the systems are small by industry standards but still cut energy costs meaningfully. Those savings can be passed on to tenants through lower utility bills, which matters since rents on regulated affordable housing can't simply rise to cover higher insurance and energy costs.

With federal tax credits reduced, state and local programs are filling the gap. New York's NY-Sun Megawatt Block Program pays contractors $1 to $2 per watt to install solar on affordable multifamily buildings, with a requirement that the savings show up in the customer's contract. Connecticut runs the Solar MAP+ program for low-income and affordable housing through its Green Bank, and Maryland offers grants and financing through the Montgomery County Green Bank. Community solar - where a building subscribes to an off-site solar project instead of installing panels itself - is also opening doors, with some housing authorities in New Jersey using it to credit tenants' electric bills directly.

One example: Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens set up a nonprofit entity, Laudato Si Corporation, to own solar installed across 17 affordable housing rooftops. The projects are expected to generate 1.5 gigawatt-hours a year, covering about 45% of on-site electricity use, with savings reinvested into further energy upgrades for residents.