San Francisco Solar Energy Incentive Program

In July 2008, the City of San Francisco launched a solar energy incentive program – the first of its kind in the nation.  A year later, the results are in.  And they are very encouraging for the future of solar power.

Mayor Gavin Newsom claims a huge success with GoSolarSF.  In a Reuters publication yesterday, he observed:

“In the year since our solar energy incentive program GoSolarSF launched, we have seen a 450% increase in applications for solar installations in San Francisco over the previous year, from 200 to 850. And despite the current recession, 56 applicants met our low-income standards and will receive incentive payments.”

Solar installations have gone up at a number of nonprofit and affordable housing organizations, including the San Francisco Housing Authority and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission over the past year.  In addition to a huge increase in the number of PV panels installed last year, the City of San Francisco also has rolled out plans for large-scale solar arrays on municipal-owned properties.  Overall, San Francisco solar advances place it third in state of California, behind the sunnier locations of L.A. and San Diego.

On a per-capita basis, San Francisco leads the state’s large cities for rooftop solar.

San Francisco, CA

Major kudos go to the City’s Solar Energy Task Force, which is the brainchild behind GoSolar SF.  The idea to give incentives to push solar panel installations in San Francisco is clearly a model for other municipalities to emulate and adopt.
photo credit: virtuallykc

Perhaps most impressive is the fact that the Solar Energy Incentive Program was funded at a very high level, despite the budget problems both in San Francisco and California as a whole.  Of course, many people recognize that the creation of green jobs will help pull the economy out of the recession.  Just in SF alone, dozens of green jobs were created by the GoSolarSF program.

As Mayor Gavin Newsom noted, just think what smart, solar investments can do for the local economy (and economies across the nation), as well as the environment, after a number of successful years like the past 12 months.  Success for San Francisco Solar Energy Incentive Program should spur similar programs in other cities and counties.

Thank you for leading the way, San Francisco!

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Related posts:

1. Energy Locavores in San Francisco
2. Solar Subsidies in San Diego