First Solar at Public Housing in SF
(July 7, 2009)
MAYOR NEWSOM ANNOUNCES FIRST SOLAR INSTALLATIONS AT
S.F. PUBLIC HOUSING SITES; CREATES GREEN-COLLAR JOBS
Newsom also announces 450% increase in San Francisco solar applications since inception of solar rebate
program
Mayor Gavin Newsom today announced plans to install over 365 kw of solar panels on
the San Francisco Housing Authority properties of Hayes Valley North and South and Plaza East through San
Francisco's GoSolarSF Initiative. The solar panels will provide hundreds of thousands of kilowatts of clean,
renewable electricity to public housing residents. The project is expected to create 25 jobs and be completed by
the end of the year.
"With initiatives like GoSolarSF, San Francisco is lighting the way with solar power," said Mayor Newsom.
"Solar power will reduce greenhouse gases, grow our green economy, and lead the state towards a future of
clean, renewable energy."
Sunwheel Energy Partners, a renewable energy firm, will install the solar panels on the public housing
properties. The solar installation is also made possible by the San Francisco Housing Authority, McCormack
Baron Salazar/ McCormack Baron Ragan, by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's GoSolarSF solar
energy incentive program, and by the MASH Rebate Program, the affordable housing component of the
California Solar Initiative, managed by Pacific Gas & Electric.
Mayor Newsom launched "GoSolarSF," San Francisco's first of its kind, solar energy rebate program in July
2008. The program was created to offer incentives to San Francisco residents and businesses to install
solar power on their properties. It is the first solar rebate of its kind, and the largest municipal solar program in
the country.
Before GoSolarSF was implemented, San Francisco received applications for just 200 solar installations under
the California Solar Initiative. After the first year of implementation, the city has seen a 450% increase in
applications (850 applications) for solar installations in San Francisco.
According to a soon to be released report from Environment California, San Francisco has the largest amount of
solar rooftops per capita of any large California city. Currently, San Francisco has 1,350 solar roofs totaling
7,050 mw of solar power, ranking San Francisco third, behind Los Angeles and San Diego, in terms of sheer
numbers of solar roofs. But, on a per capita basis, San Francisco has approximately six times more solar roofs
than Los Angeles, despite Southern California receiving more sun.
"The success of our solar energy incentive program in just its first year has helped catapult San Francisco into a leading solar city in California," said SFPUC General Manager Ed Harrington. "GoSolarSF is proof that, with added incentives, people will enthusiastically embrace solar power and give a boost to California's environment and economy."
"Way to go San Francisco!" said Bernadette Del Chiaro, clean energy advocate for Environment California. "It
is San Francisco's exceptional leadership in promoting solar power that is making this city a solar power leader in the state and country."
"Sunwheel Energy Partners, an affiliate of McCormack Baron Salazar, is proud to partner with the San Francisco Housing Authority to bring solar energy to those who can least afford the cost of electricity," said Tony Salazar, President of McCormack Baron Salazar.
"As San Francisco works to become a leader in renewable energy generation, the San Francisco Housing
Authority will do its part to green our public housing sites," said Executive Director, Henry Alvarez.