California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) staff spend a lot of time thinking about solar these days, but it isn’t often you’ll find them actually installing it. That changed on a recent Saturday morning in East Oakland, when eight CPUC staffers showed up on their day off to install a solar PV system with GRID Alternatives, which manages the SASH program, a dedicated solar rebate program for low-income homeowners overseen by the CPUC. Homeowner Greg Deaner, a local landscaper, was eagerly awaiting the volunteers and welcomed them with coffee to his home in the flat lands near the Oakland Coliseum. After 35 years as a renter, Greg had just recently completed his dream of home ownership with down payment assistance from the Oakland Land Trust, and was thrilled to discover he qualified for solar as well.
For the CPUC volunteers -- from both the Energy Division and the Office of Ratepayer Associates – the installation was a rare opportunity to see the programs and policies they work on every day from the perspective of the families and communities they were written to serve. It was also an exciting chance to get hands-on with a technology most had never touched. By the end of the day, they had learned the ins and outs of solar installation, from electrical wiring to placing panels to connecting the microinverters, and were ready to turn on and test the nine-panel system.
“It was a great experience to meet the homeowner and hear firsthand about the benefits of the SASH program from a participant,” said Shannon O’Rourke, Energy Analyst in the Energy Division. “I also enjoyed getting up on the roof of a SASH solar installation, learning about the installation process, and experiencing the program in action. ”
During the lunch break, Mr. Deaner thanked GRID Alternatives, the SASH program, and the CPUC volunteers who made his solar installation possible. “I’m glad I will have a little money from the solar savings to save up for maintenance costs or if the water heater goes out,” he said, reflecting on his new responsibilities as a homeowner. “I’m also going to be able to buy disability insurance for the first time to help in case I get hurt or sick and can’t work.”
He says his neighbors have been so excited to see solar in the neighborhood – his house is the first one on the street – and he hopes one day it will be full of solar rooftops. “I think what this program does—helping the poor and needy save money and helping the planet at the same time—is the best part.”