California apartment owners and managers who provide housing for low-income residents can now save significant energy storage system costs through the state's Multi Family Affordable Housing Solar (SOMAH) program.

The new incentive measures enable eligible properties to pair energy storage systems with solar systems at lower prices, thereby increasing residents' energy resilience and reducing long-term electricity costs. The energy storage system must be paired with the new SOMAH solar device.

Based on the system size and tenant benefits, incentive measures can cover up to 100% of the cost of eligible energy storage projects. As long as the energy storage system primarily serves tenant units, public areas, or both, it can receive funding. By capturing excess solar energy, energy storage systems can reduce utility bills, provide backup power during power outages, and support California's transition to clean and resilient energy.

Anna Taleysnik Mehta, Senior Project Manager of SOMAH at the Sustainable Energy Center, said, "In the event of a planned power outage or emergency, the energy storage system can ensure that the lights are on, the refrigerator is cooling, and the phone is charging. Using stored solar energy during the peak electricity price period is also a wise move to manage the energy costs of real estate

Over the next seven years, the state has allocated nearly $184 million to incentivize energy storage projects. To qualify, energy storage projects must meet existing SOMAH eligibility requirements, including serving low-income households subject to contract restrictions, and be located within the utility service areas of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison Company, San Diego Gas and Electric Company, Liberty Utilities, or PacifiCorp.

Other recent changes to the SOMAH program include expanding the funding for roof maintenance required for installing solar energy and simplifying the approval and payment processes in areas with lower participation in the program.

SOMAH is a program of the California Public Utilities Commission that provides clean solar energy and monthly water and electricity credits to hundreds of thousands of low-income residents who would otherwise be unable to use renewable energy at home.

Since its launch in 2019, SOMAH has allocated and reserved over $240 million in incentives to support more than 100 megawatts of solar power capacity, serving over 59000 tenants across the state. This is the largest low-income solar project in the United States.

SOMAH's unique community-based approach ensures long-term economic benefits for low-income families and homeowners, helps accelerate the development of the multi family residential solar market, and creates employment opportunities for disadvantaged and low-income communities.