Solar: Now for renters, too (California)

[jpak]

http://gigaom.com/cleantech/solar-now-for-renters-too/

California regulators have approved a policy for residents who, until now, have been under-served by the state’s popular solar incentive program: renters.

The California Public Utilities Commission voted on Thursday to give renters of apartments or other multi-tenant housing access to a program that previously targeted only low-income residents. The program, so-called virtual net metering, allows renters to get credits on their utility bills for the electricity produced by a communal solar system on their complex.

The solar electricity won’t go to any tenant but will instead be fed to the grid and sold to the utility. The new program will be available to business tenants as well.

Virtual net metering bridges a gap between the more affluent and the low-income, as well as the home-owner and the renter, so people in the middle can benefit from clean power. It also creates new business opportunities for solar service providers and their equipment suppliers.

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[abelenkpe]

1. Cool! Nt

[kestrel91316]

2. My complex has a whole lot of flat roofs perfect for solar panels. But

management already sticks us for our "share" of common area utility bills so there is no financial motive for them to install solar. And WE have no say.

It's all the rage these days: have a company bill tenants monthly for their prorated portion of the alleged water, sewer, gas, electricity, trash bills (which we of course never get to see so we just take their word for it being the correct amount). Management never has to bother fixing sprinkler leaks or getting the exterior lights timed right because they don't pay for any utilities, so waste gets passed on to us, and like I said, we get no say.

[FirstLight]

3. hmmmm...

I am a renter, been in the same house for 4 years, and i've been contemplating trying to do some type of (non permanent) solar augmentation...

i'm going to have to look and see if there's more out there for 'single family dwelling' renters too!