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SFPUC reports early uptake for GoSolarSF and expands energy‑efficiency services
Summary
SFPUC staff reported early results from the GoSolarSF solar incentive program and said energy‑efficiency capital projects and departmental audits are underway; staff reported 150 GoSolarSF applications requesting about $906,000 and estimated roughly 660 kilowatts of installed capacity from approved applications through September.
At the Oct. 28 SFPUC meeting, Barbara Hale, Assistant General Manager for Power, updated commissioners on the agency’s Energy Efficiency Services Capital Program and the newly launched GoSolarSF incentive program.
Hale said the Energy Efficiency Services team is working with many city departments to identify opportunities for lighting, HVAC and other retrofits that reduce peak demand and help departments meet climate action plan compliance requirements. She highlighted ongoing projects including lighting retrofits at the Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant (estimated savings about 114,000 kilowatt‑hours) and a port lighting retrofit expected to save about 2,000,000 kilowatt‑hours annually. Staff are preparing facility‑by‑facility reports for department heads to identify where consumption and savings opportunities exist.
On solar, Hale said GoSolarSF launched July 1, 2008, is budgeted at $3,000,000 from net operating revenues, and offers tiered incentives for residential, business and nonprofit applicants with adders for low‑income customers and for projects using workforce‑development‑trained installers. "We have received 150 applications so far," Hale said, representing about $906,000 in requested incentives and roughly 660 kilowatts of proposed installed capacity through September. Hale said eight business category applications had been received (including nonprofit applicants such as the Japanese Cultural Center and Pacific Primary School) and staff reported eight new jobs created in SunSolar workforce training placements and five certified installers actively hiring.
Commissioners asked about program marketing and outreach; Hale described solar fairs, a GoSolarSF website with a tracking feature and joint outreach with the Department of the Environment. Commissioners also asked whether federal tax incentives would continue; Hale said recent legislation preserved the renewable tax incentives and removed a prior $2,000 residential cap.
The commission did not take a separate vote on policy design at the meeting, but staff asked commissioners to assist in outreach to potential nonprofit applicants and indicated they would return with additional tracking reports as installations proceed.
