May 19, 2016 
The Economic Benefits of Combining
Solar & Battery Storage

A new report released by the California Housing Partnership (CHPC), the Clean Energy Group (CEG) and the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) shows how battery storage greatly increases the economic benefits of solar PV in affordable housing developments.

CHPC and our partners analyzed the utility bill impacts of adding energy storage to stand-alone solar at affordable rental housing properties located in three different utility service territories, all with different rate structures. The results are detailed in a new report, " Closing the California Clean Energy Divide," the first such report ever done on these technologies in the multifamily housing sector in California. The analysis provides strong evidence that integrating energy storage with solar PV installations can improve the economics of energy investments while increasing the resiliency of affordable housing.

By integrating energy storage with energy efficiency and solar PV, multifamily property owners can take control of the energy they produce and when they consume it. Managing demand allows utility customers to lower energy use during peak periods and reduce or eliminate demand changes. These outcomes increase cost savings and will help preserve the value of solar and energy efficiency investments under future net metering policies and utility rate structures.


What does this mean for affordable housing in California?
The Multifamily Affordable Housing Solar Roofs (Multifamily Solar Roofs) program, funded from Cap-and-Trade proceeds, will provide up to $1 billion over ten years to scale integrated energy solutions for nearly one-third of the existing affordable multifamily properties in the state. The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) is now charged with setting out the rules to implement the Multifamily Solar Roofs Program. As the proceeding gets under way, the costs and benefits of energy storage will be a key consideration, as will utility rate design. CHPC and our partners believe this new report will provide valuable information to those proceedings.
 
Join the Conversation
Clean Energy Group will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, June 15 to discuss the findings of this new report. Report authors from Clean Energy Group and the California Housing Partnership will present. The webinar, Reducing Electric Bills in California Multifamily Affordable Housing with Solar+Storage , is free but registration is required. Click the link for more details and to register.
CHPC thanks our funders for their generous support of our GREEN Affordable Housing Preservation and Production Program. 



For more information about the California Housing Partnership, please visit our website at www.chpc.net.