Last month, the California Center for Sustainable Energy announced on their website that they were successful in petitioning the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to modify the San Diego CSI fund allocation, which means an additional $5 million to residential solar projects in San Diego.
According to the article, the CCSE had been petitioning the CPUC to modify the allocation of funds in the CSI program in order to “shift some money in the nonresidential solar project budget to be available for homeowners.” Approval for the modification was given on October 23.
Since its inception in 2006, The San Diego CSI (California Solar Initiative) program has helped to provide rebates for residential and nonresidential San Diego solar power systems.
What This Means for Solar Power Rebates in San Diego
Per the CCSE’s website, the CSI program has incentivized approximately 15,000 solar photovoltaic systems installed on San Diego homes, which has produced over 75 megawatts of sustainable energy.
With the revised allocation of funds, San Diego will now have access to an additional $5 million in solar rebates for residential projects, and about $13 million for nonresidential solar projects.
According to the article, CCSE executive director Len Hering stated that the removal of “the specific allocation of two-thirds of the program’s 180 megawatts for the nonresidential sector will allow the program to more effectively reach its overall goals and encourage more San Diego homeowners to install rooftop solar.”
Hering added, “The return of CSI rebates for residential solar energy systems in the San Diego region, together with the recent passage of Assembly Bill 327, which extends California’s net energy metering program, will help ensure continued growth for the state’s thriving solar market.”
In addition to the additional funds for solar rebates, the CCSE also reported in the article that the CSI program has helped to decrease San Diego solar power costs by a whopping 45%.
Between state initiatives and federal tax breaks, San Diego solar installation is now more affordable than ever.