This case study is an excerpt from the report, Expanding Solar Access to Underserved Communities Through SolSmart, written by Val Stori, Dreek Morgan, and Maya Chilcote of the Great Plains Institute. Read the full report here.

Editor’s note: This case study was written during a transition period for Solar Works D.C. Solar Works D.C. is expanding and reorganizing and is now called the Next Gen Training Academy. This training academy is using many of the lessons learned from Solar Works D.C. to improve the program. Next Gen Training Academy will continue to be run in partnership with GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic.

Summary

The Solar Works D.C. program was a partnership between GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic and the District’s Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). The program provided job training with wraparound services to individuals and no-cost rooftop solar installations to low-income D.C. residents. Many District LMI residents benefited from this program—both from a job training and annual electricity savings standpoint.

Climate Change Leadership & SolSmart Designation

Washington, D.C., has been a climate change leader since 2011, when it began convening community conversations around what a sustainable D.C. might look like. Notably, the city emphasized community conversations prioritizing people of color and trusted community-based organizations (CBOs). Working groups and community volunteers developed recommendations that became the foundation for the Vision for a Sustainable D.C., a nation-leading innovative vision for urban sustainability that led to the Sustainable D.C. Act of 2012. This act, the Vision’s implementation plan, created property-assessed clean energy (PACE) financing tools for energy efficiency retrofits and continued the District’s renewable energy rebate programs. The following year, the Mayoral Order of 2013, formally established Sustainable D.C. and required District agencies to perform sustainability assessments. In 2019, Sustainable D.C. was updated to take advantage of new technology developments and to integrate diverse community voices. Sustainable D.C. 2.0 centers on equity and community priorities as it positions the District to become the healthiest, greenest, most livable city in the nation.

That same year, the District passed new legislation—the Clean Energy D.C. Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018—to curb greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2032 in comparison to the measured emissions in 2006 and to codify several initiatives in the Clean Energy D.C. plan. At the time, this act represented one of the country’s most aggressive and innovative climate change actions, positioning D.C. as a global leader in curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Through policies and initiatives, the act accelerates clean and efficient energy adoption across various emissions sectors, as well as the development of workforce training programs. The Clean Energy D.C. 2.0 plan places specific emphasis on rooftop solar deployment due to the district’s residential and commercial density and lack of available open areas for solar development. This includes rooftop solar on businesses and residences. It also highlights programs such as Solar for All, a DOEE program established in 2016 through the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Expansion Act, to increase local renewable generation and its multiple benefits for low-income residents. Community solar is noted as one way to increase opportunities for low-income households to access solar energy. Solar for All aims to help 100,000 low-income households in D.C. cut their energy bills in half by 2032; reducing living expenses for low-income households through community solar is a crucial step toward ensuring that the benefits of solar do not just benefit affluent homeowners.

The District began integrating equity considerations into its sustainability plans and climate policies from the very beginning to ensure that clean energy initiatives such as Sustainable D.C. included meaningful community engagement and equitable access to clean and healthy initiatives for the city’s low- to moderate-income residents. In June 2017, one month after the launch of Solar Works DC, a program that provided solar installation job training and no-cost rooftop solar installation for D.C. residents in single-family homes, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser reaffirmed the District’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and offered Solar Works D.C. as a prime example of her administration’s commitment to local climate change action, green careers, and affordable access to clean energy.

Program Overview

In 2016, the DOEE developed the Solar for All initiative, seeking to increase access to clean energy for 100,000 LMI District residents. The Solar for All initiative was part of the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Expansion Amendment Act of 2016 and is funded by the Renewable Energy Development Fund. This Solar for All funding was available for projects that would address challenges to equitable solar access, and as a result, DOEE and the Department of Employment Services (DOES) received funding, which they in turn used to contract with GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic to operate the Solar Works D.C. program. Solar Works D.C. was a no-cost job training program for D.C. residents that began in May 2017 and ran until 2024, when it was combined with other GRID programs. As part of its hands-on training, the program also provided residential solar installations for underserved communities.

Solar Works D.C. originally envisioned operating three cohorts per year, but later expanded to five cohorts each year. The program provided classroom and onsite training to approximately 15–25 trainees per cohort. The original summer cohort consisted of participants from the Green Zone Environmental Program (GZEP)—one of the largest summer environmental job training programs for young people in the nation. The GZEP partnered with the Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program to provide youth and young adults aged 14 to 24, with opportunities to learn about and complete energy and environmental community-based work projects.

Each cohort session was six to seven weeks long, and DCIA provided participants with stipends and wraparound services. Program participants earned $16 an hour for 35 hours per week of training. In comparison, solar installers working in D.C. earned approximately $26 per hour.   DCIA’s wraparound services included transportation fare for participants to get to and from the Infrastructure Academy and childcare for trainees while they were in class. There were more than 500 applicants to the program and more than 369 Washington, DC, residents participated. GRID Alternatives, DOEE, and DOES collaborated on the recruitment process. Trainees were chosen by GRID Alternatives through an application and interview process. Their availability, interest in a solar career, and physical ability to install solar were all part of the application review criteria.

During the classroom portion of the training, participants learned about PV systems, solar installation, solar installation safety, and electrical systems. They also worked on techniques such as public speaking, resume building, financial literacy, and other related skills. After the classroom portion of the training, participants received hands-on training as they helped to install two to four rooftop solar installations on single-family homes. As part of the installation process, participants worked on creating designs for each house. GRID Alternatives worked on permit approval, and trainees worked with experienced solar installers to install the solar systems in two days. According to GRID Alternatives, most trainees grasped the technical parts of solar installation very quickly.

A unique component of Solar Works DC’s program was the hands-on solar installation on the homes of low-income district residents. District homeowners can apply to GRID Alternatives for a no-cost solar system. Applicants must have a household income below 80% of the area median income to qualify. If approved, GRID Alternatives conducted a home inspection to assess if the roof was adequate to support solar panels. In the case that it was not, GRID Alternatives was able to fund home upgrades such as basic roof repairs, electrical upgrades, or even a new roof. Once installed, a third party (currently a financier for solar developers) owns the solar system, guaranteeing that the solar panels will be insured and maintained for the lifetime of the agreement between the third-party owner, the resident, and GRID Alternatives, and that any upgrade and repair costs are not passed onto the homeowner. However, the homeowners can benefit from the solar systems through their reduced electric bills as a result. Over the life of the Solar Works D.C. program, the cohorts installed 10 to 20 rooftop solar arrays each year and provided 266 residences with rooftop solar, reducing their utility bills by as much as $619 annually.

At the end of the training program, GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic provided study materials and practice sessions so participants could prepare for the NABCEP exam. Grid Alternatives paid for and provided program participants the opportunity to take the NABCEP certification exam, which, if successful, shows that the trainee has a fundamental understanding of the application, design, installation, and operation of PV systems. The certification is highly recognized by solar installers across the country.

GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic worked to stay in contact with program graduates, providing job placement support within six months of program completion. One hundred thirteen of the program participants were placed into clean energy jobs in the D.C. metropolitan area (GRID Alternatives only tracks graduates placed into clean energy jobs in the D.C. metro area). Other program graduates may be finding careers in related fields or in solar outside of the D.C. area. This training program was highly recognized by contractors in the D.C. area.

Partners in this program and their roles:

DOEE

Provides funding through the Solar for All initiative, which is part of the Renewable Energy Development Fund (RPS)

GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic

Administers the program, facilitates permits for rooftop solar, hires additional instructors, and conducts classroom and onsite training

DCIA

Provides some staffing for training program, facilitates funding to trainees, provides wraparound services, and provides classroom space

DOES

Provides stipend for trainees (DCIA is part of DOES)

Benefits

Solar Works D.C. is an example of a unique and important program in equitable solar deployment due to the stipends that it was able to provide to program participants and the wraparound services that made it easier for low-income residents to attend classes. This program provided D.C. residents with solar installation job training and helped low-income D.C. residents receive rooftop solar at no cost. GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic, DOEE, and DOES focused on recruiting trainees from underserved communities in the District to help them build sustainable, supporting careers. The $16/hour stipend for the 35-hour training week allowed trainees to participate without a large financial burden. Advisors from the training program worked with each trainee on career soft skills such as financial literacy and resume building to help address other barriers trainees may be facing. 

Solar Works D.C. also benefited low-income single-family homeowners and renters, typically from underserved communities, who received these no-cost rooftop solar installations. Younger families, older residents on a fixed income, and residents with health issues who may not be able to work tend to pay a higher percentage of their incomes on their utility bills than any other group. Most low-income households in the District have an energy burden greater than 6% and can benefit from lower electricity bills. Rooftop solar also increases property values. And with the third-party ownership model, homeowners can glean the benefits without owning their own rooftop solar system. The third-party owner also benefits from this arrangement by receiving the federal and state tax incentives from the solar system.

SolSmart Criteria Alignment

The workforce training and no-cost solar installation components of Solar Works D.C. provides a strong example of an equitable solar workforce development program. Local governments that choose to replicate the Solar Works D.C. program can receive credit for three SolSmart criteria:

CE-10: Distribute solar job training and career opportunities in coordination with local colleges and/or workforce development organizations.

MD-9: Provide local incentives for solar PV to low- to moderate-income (LMI) households, disadvantaged communities, disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs), minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs), and/or nonprofit organizations that provide community services.

MD-10: Partner with financial institutions and/or foundations to offer loans, rebates, grants, or other incentives for solar PV projects.

As part of its commitment to sustainability and its comprehensive approach to meeting its renewable energy goals, Washington, DC, pursued SolSmart designation, achieving the highest designation level available at the time—Gold— in 2017 with 435 points. The District earned 45 points in the “Utility Engagement” and 135 points in the “Community Engagement” categories. Below are a few examples of the criteria D.C. met for which it was awarded SolSmart credit:

●   Forming an active energy task force or working group  thatmeets at least three times per year (CE-1)

●   Encouraging solar on nonprofit or community facilities through fee waivers, technical assistance, or connections to other forms of support (CE-3)

●   Supporting or hosting a community group purchase program (CE-4a)

●   Publicly encouraging community solar projects or other solar projects on community facilities (CE-5d)

●   Engaging with community in robust, ongoing discussion around climate, energy, or sustainability plans (CE-5e)

●   Discussing community or shared solar programs with the local utility (U-2)

●   Launching and conducting outreach support for utility community solar program (U-5)

●   Providing PACE financing in the District (MDF-6)

●   Providing local incentives or locally enabling finance (MDF-7)

●   Created an online permitting checklist, increasing transparency for community members and solar installers (PI-16)

●   Allowed solar by-right accessory use in all zones (so solar installations don’t require special permits or hearings) (PZ-4)

●   Provided a streamlined permitting pathway for small PV systems (PI-4)

Washington, DC, received credit for programs it had already established through its Sustainable D.C. Act, programs it was developing for the Clean Energy D.C. plan, and actions it was taking to improve solar permitting and siting. For example, as it pursued SolSmart designation, the District was designing its Affordable Solar Program, which helped income-qualified district residents install solar panels at no cost, earning 20 points under MDF-7. Other examples of programs that were under development around the time the District was pursuing SolSmart designation include Solar for All (single-family and community solar for LMI households) and Solarize D.C. (community-based group bulk-purchasing solar installation). The District made outreach materials available in Spanish, French, Amharic, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and English.

Lessons Learned

The Solar Works D.C. program is no longer operational, but its successor program—the Next Gen Training Academy—is making its debut in 2024. The goal of this program will be to create solar career pathways for underrepresented groups. Next Gen Training Academy will also be focusing on a broader range of skills in the solar energy field, including sales, design, management, and other roles. This more holistic approach expands the initiatives began by Solar Works D.C. and creates more opportunities for underrepresented communities in the D.C. area. This program will be privately funded but will continue to do much of the same work. Grid Alternatives will continue to administer the program.