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City staff highlights SunShares bulk‑purchase residential solar discounts
Summary
Department of the Environment staff presented SunShares, a city‑sponsored bulk‑purchase program for employees and retirees that lowered per‑watt pricing to about $3.8/W in round one and $3.5/W in round two and reported 145 installations from roughly 1,200 registrants across two rounds.
The San Francisco Department of the Environment presented SunShares, a city‑sponsored residential solar bulk‑purchase program aimed at lowering customer acquisition costs and securing discounted per‑watt pricing for homeowners.
Tara Weeks, Renewable Energy Program Associate, told the Commission SunShares ran two rounds (March–September 2013 and September 2014–February 2015). She said the program achieved roughly $3.8 per watt in the first round and about $3.5 per watt in the second round, offered a $500 cash incentive for contract signers and referral incentives, and resulted in more than 1,200 participants and 145 completed installations (about a 12% conversion rate). Weeks noted San Francisco residents saw greater relative savings because city installation costs are typically higher than the Bay Area average due to urban density and complexity.
Weeks described the program model: recruit employer partners (including large local employers), evaluate vendors through a selection committee, open registrations, provide no‑cost site assessments and standardized proposals, and present financing options (cash, loans, leases). She said outreach within companies — internal emails, intranet and designated program champions — was among the biggest implementation challenges because some employers restrict broad staff messaging.
Commissioners asked for data on how many San Francisco installations used GoSolarSF incentives and how many jobs were created via workforce development requirements; Weeks said that data were still being compiled and would appear in the final report. Public commenter Eric Brooks urged linking SunShares to the forthcoming Clean Power SF effort to scale behind‑the‑meter work and local job opportunities.
Why it matters: SunShares is presented as a relatively low‑cost city tool to expand rooftop solar among Bay Area residents and to help meet local renewable targets by engaging employees through employer partnerships. Staff said they are considering whether to run another round and how to better include local contractors and workforce development elements.
What’s next: Department staff will finalize a program report with detailed breakdowns — including GoSolarSF participation and workforce outcomes — and will provide it to the commission when ready.
