Biden-Harris Administration Announces $7 Billion Solar for All

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $7 Billion Solar for All
Grants to Deliver Residential Solar, Saving Low-Income Americans $350 Million Annually and Advancing Environmental Justice
Across America

EPA announces 60 selectees under Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grant competition to deliver solar to more than 900,000 low-income and disadvantaged households nationwide through the President’s Investing in America agenda

Contact: EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

Washington – April 22, as the Biden-Harris Administration celebrates Earth Day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced 60 selectees that will receive $7 billion in grant awards through the Solar for All grant competition to deliver residential solar projects to over 900,000 households nationwide. The grant competition is funded by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda through the Inflation Reduction Act, which created EPA’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The 60 selections under the $7 billion Solar for All program will provide funds to states, territories, Tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits across the country to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar, lowering energy costs for families, creating good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advancing environmental justice and tackling climate change.

“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.”

“Solar is the cheapest form of electricity—and one of the best ways to lower energy costs for American families,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy. “Today’s announcement of EPA’s Solar for All awards will mean that low-income communities, and not just well-off communities, will feel the cost-saving benefits of solar thanks to this investment.”

“Residential solar electricity leads to reduced monthly utility bills, reduced levels of air pollution in neighborhoods, and ultimately healthier communities, but too often low-income and disadvantaged communities have been left out. Today’s announcement will invest billions to ensure that affordable housing across the U.S. can access solar and increase energy efficiency and climate resilience,” said U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “HUD is honored to have played a key role in today’s monumental announcement, which will provide meaningful household savings to households in low-income and disadvantaged communities, reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs, and deliver electricity during grid outages for low-income households.”

“Sunlight is powering millions of homes across the nation, and we’re working hard to ensure Americans everywhere can benefit from this affordable clean energy resource,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “DOE is proud to work alongside our partners at EPA and across the Federal government to help communities access the limitless energy of the sun to light their homes and power their businesses.”

“The United States can and must lead the world in transforming our energy systems away from fossil fuels,” said U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (VT). “The Solar for All program – legislation that I successfully introduced – will not only combat the existential threat of climate change by making solar energy available to working class families, it will also substantially lower the electric bills of Americans and create thousands of good-paying jobs. This is a win for the environment, a win for consumers, and a win for the economy.”

EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.

Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.

The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.

Solar for All will expand existing low-income solar programs and launch new ones. The 60 selected applicants will serve households in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and territories, as well as increase access to solar for Tribes. EPA has selected 49 state-level awards totaling approximately $5.5 billion, six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion. Solar for All will deploy residential solar for households nationwide by not only providing grants and low-cost financing to overcome financial barriers to deployment but also by providing services to communities to overcome other barriers such as siting, permitting, and interconnection. A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.

The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.

To date, many of the 60 selected Solar for All applicants have supported low-income and underserved communities in installing innovative residential solar projects. With this new funding, selectees can launch thousands more projects like these throughout every state and territory in the nation:
The threat of storms is a major reason Athens, Georgia resident Delmira Jennings and her husband John used selected applicant Capital Good Fund’s Georgia BRIGHT leasing program to install a 13-kilowatt solar and 10-kilowatt-hour battery system in February. “Last year, we spent two days without power after what seemed like a mini tornado,” Jennings said. After a recent outage, Jennings noted that she didn’t even know she lost power. “The batteries kicked in and all the power items we were using were on battery backup.”
Last year, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, whose successful pilot initiative served as the basis for selected applicant Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara (MHA) Nation’s Northern Plains Tribal Solar for All program, took major steps toward a clean energy future with the completion of the first phase of the White River Community Solar project. This project will deploy 15 solar systems at the homes of elders while piloting a groundbreaking approach to solar ownership and management that is intended to set an example for Tribes across the nation.
Through its Solar Access for Nationwide Affordable Housing (SANAH) program — a model for equitably providing solar to low-income renters in disadvantaged communities — selected applicant GRID Alternatives’ team in San Diego installed a solar energy system at Trolley Trestle, home to youth transitioning out of the foster care system. Energy cost savings estimated at over $600k over ten years, will be reinvested to provide additional services to those who call Trolley Trestle home, including more job and life skills training.
Review and Selection Process Information

The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.

EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.

Duke Energy PowerPair Update

Duke Energy PowerPair Update

Save now and in the future with an incentive on rooftop solar plus battery backup.

PowerPair from Duke Energy provides incentives for customers who want to combine the savings and green attributes of solar power with the reliability and security of backup battery storage. Participating North Carolina homeowners can earn one-time installation incentives when they have a Duke Energy Trade Ally install a qualified solar + battery system. Trade Allies are skilled professionals who have been vetted by Duke Energy and can be found by using the Find it Duke referral tool.

 

 
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
International Day of Clean Energy | United Nations

International Day of Clean Energy | United Nations

January 26th, 2024 marks the first ever International Day of Clean Energy. Renu Energy Solutions recognizes the significance of today as a positive step forward towards a better planet.

International Day of Clean Energy is a platform to drive the adoption of policies and practices to promote awareness on the sustainable use of energy resources and to strengthen collaboration and cooperation to promote the global energy transition.

Click the source below to read more.

Source: International Day of Clean Energy | United Nations

Pay Your Power Bill Promotion

The Renu Way to Zero - $0 Power Bill Payments!

Pay Your Power Bill
Renu Energy Solutions

Find Out How Renu Energy Solutions Can Pay Your Power Bill TODAY!!

For a limited time, choose Renu Energy Solutions as your solar energy partner, and we’ll pay your power bill!! This promotion is for residential purchasers who have signed a fully executed solar power generation system installation agreement between January 22nd, 2024 and February 2nd, 2024. This means NO POWER BILL until May 31, 2024, courtesy of Renu Energy Solutions.

How Does This Promotion Work?

Once we have a signed agreement, installing your new solar system takes some time. And since your goal is to save money on your power bill, why not start saving rig ht now? For a limited time, choose Renu Energy Solutions as your solar energy partner, and we’ll pay your power bill until your system is in place and up and running! This is the Renu Way to Zero, a 2024 initiative where we’re striving to get every customer to ZERO!Pay Your Power Bill

To qualify and stay qualified for the promotion, the purchaser must fulfill purchaser’s contractual obligations and submit each qualified power bill for reimbursement within 7 (seven) days of the bill date on the qualified power bill. This promotion cannot be combined with any other offer, promotion or rebate guarantee from either Renu Energy Solutions, the finance company or a solar equipment manufacturer. If applicable, purchaser may still be eligible for rebates paid directly from a utility. Certain restrictions apply*, ask your Energy Consultant for details.

I’m ready to get started… now what?

There are several ways to reach out to us. You can call us at (704) 525-6767, email solar@renuenergysolutions.com or fill out our CONTACT FORM shown below. From there, we’ll get you set up to start saving TODAY!!

2024 Pay Your Bill Inquiry

"*" indicates required fields

Your Name:*
Home Address:

By submitting this form, you authorize Renu Energy Solutions to contact you via email, phone or text messages with offers & other information, possibly using automated technology, to the contact information you provided. Message/data rates apply. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Hidden
MM slash DD slash YYYY
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

*Terms & Conditions

  1. The reimbursement is for a single meter for a residential electric utility bill for a single-family home. If the residential customer has multiple meters with the electric utility, the meter which will be tied to the Solar system will be the meter that is eligible for
    the Promotion.
  2. Electric bills with a bill date prior to the solar agreement signing are not eligible for Promotion.
  3. Other utility bills such as Telephone, Internet, Gas, Propane and Water (among others) are NOT eligible for Promotion. 
  4. Charges and Fees on the electric bill related to late payments or non-payments are NOT eligible for Promotion.
  5. Charges and Fees for add-ons to the utility bill such as lightbulbs or other discretionary non-electric charges are NOT eligible for Promotion. Only for charges associated with fixed and usage portions of the monthly bill. 
  6. Contracts for solar systems under 6 KWdc are NOT eligible for Promotion.
  7. This Promotion cannot be combined with any other offer, promotion or rebate guarantee from either Renu Energy Solutions, the finance company or a solar equipment manufacturer. If applicable, Purchaser may still be eligible for rebates paid directly from a utility.
  8. If Customer (at their own request) delays the installation of the solar project for any reason, then the Customer will no longer be eligible for Promotion.
  9. Any Force Majeure Event; “Force Majeure Event” means any event, condition or circumstance beyond the control of and not caused by Renu Energy Solutions fault or negligence. It shall include, without limitation, failure or interruption of the production, delivery or acceptance of power due to: an act of god; war (declared or undeclared); sabotage; riot; insurrection; civil unrest or disturbance; military or guerilla action; terrorism; economic sanction or embargo; civil strike, work stoppage, slow-down, or lock-out; explosion; fire; earthquake; abnormal weather condition or actions of the elements; hurricane; flood; lightning; wind; drought; the binding order of any governmental authority (provided that such order has been resisted in good faith by all reasonable legal means); the failure to act on the part of any governmental authority (provided that such action has been timely requested and diligently pursued); unavailability of power from the utility grid, equipment, supplies or products (but not to the extent that any such availability of any of the foregoing results from Renu Energy Solutions failure to have exercised reasonable diligence); power or voltage surge caused by someone other than Renu Energy Solutions.

Duke Energy’s 2024 PowerPair Rebate

There is GREAT NEWS from the folks at Duke Energy – North Carolina!!

The 2024 Duke Energy PowerPair Incentive was established in response to a requirement from the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC). This program was designed to test how distributed solar and battery storage helps stabilize North Carolina’s power grid while reducing the need for peak power plant capacity. The program was approved January 11, 2024, but all of North Carolina is still waiting to receive several details, including the enrollment window and more. The PowerPair Incentive offers North Carolina customers a powerful incentive to adopt solar + battery storage with cash incentives up to $9000. Renu Energy Solutions is excited to provide the following details:

This unprecedented program is available to residential customers who install new solar panels and a battery storage system. The customer must own the premises and could own or lease the installed equipment.

2024 Duke Energy PowerPair Incentive Timeline

January: The Duke Energy NC PowerPair Incentive Program is approved by the NCUC.
February: Duke Energy deadline to file tariffs outlining the application process.
March: Deadline for NCUC to provide comments.
May: PowerPair application process expects to go live!

Participants would receive monetary incentives from Duke to offset the cost of installed equipment*:

  • Solar Incentive: $0.36/watt for solar panels to a maximum of 10 kW; capped at $3,600/residence
  • Battery Incentive: $400/kWh for battery storage to a maximum of 13.5 kWh = up to $5400

*System’s export to the grid could not exceed 20 kW at any time.

What Else You Need to Know About this Incentive

Participants would be required to select net energy metering (NEM) as their electric tariff and be divided into two cohorts:

  • Cohort A: served under the time-of-use (TOU) rates and would have complete control of the use of the energy storage device. 
  • Cohort B: served under the Bridge Rate and Duke Energy, or a third party, would have control over the battery storage device.

They are also required to participate in a new demand response program called Battery Control*.

*Under Battery Control, the customers’ battery could be controlled by Duke up to 18 times per winter season (Dec-Mar). Additionally up to 9 times per summer (May-Sep) and up to 9 times in the remaining months. A minimum of 30/year, maximum 36/year (referred to as Control Events**). 

**A Control Event is defined as the initiation of a signal to control the battery and, within 48 hours later, a discharging of the battery by Duke. Duke will not discharge the battery below a 20% state of charge, but would reserve the right to call interruptions outside of the above parameters in the event that the utility’s continuity of service was in jeopardy.

In Conclusion – from Renu Energy Solutions

This is a fantastic opportunity for North Carolina homeowners who have Duke Energy (DEP and DEC) to save up to $9000 on their solar + battery storage system. Furthermore, there is the potential to receive additional monthly discounts. But please note: at the time of this press release, THE PROGRAM HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED!! Renu Energy Solutions prides itself in educating and advising our clients when we are certain the information is accurate and truthful. If you have been told by other solar companies that they can hold your spot, or that you qualify for the rebates right now, it’s simply NOT TRUE. We encourage you to CLICK HERE and visit the Duke Energy Rebate portal. If it’s not listed, it’s not live!

To learn more about this program and other exciting solar and battery storage options, including how Renu Energy Solutions can pay your energy bill, please fill out the form on this page or CONTACT US for your free consultation!