California's Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) Program benefits participants on many levels:

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Tenants

Helps tenants save money on their electricity bills

property owners

Property Owners

Helps property owners in disadvantaged communities affordably install solar

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Contractors

Helps local contractors build their solar businesses

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Job Seekers

Provides paid on-the-job training and employment opportunities

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Resources

Makes solar accessible to more Californians

How SOMAH is Changing California

technician working on top of a solar PV system

Mission

The SOMAH Program provides financial incentives for installing solar panel systems that benefit both low-income tenants and property owners throughout California.

It is designed to deliver renewable energy and credits on energy bills to hundreds of thousands of residents that otherwise would not have access for their homes. SOMAH's unique, community-based approach ensures long-term financial benefits for low-income households and property owners, helps accelerate the market for solar on multifamily housing and creates jobs in disadvantaged and low-income communities. The SOMAH Program is overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

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We would absolutely recommend the SOMAH Program. In spite of changing TOU rates and the uncertainty of NEM policy changes down the road, the financial benefits of multifamily solar in the Central Valley remains significant. Installing solar makes a statement of intent to produce clean energy – and to produce it locally.

Tyrone Williams

Tyrone Williams

CEO, FRESNO HOUSING
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The benefit to our tribe is the opportunity for our tribal members to have savings on their electricity bill, and I encourage any tribes who may be interested in going after the same type of funding and opportunity to bring it to their community and their tribal members.

Meryl Picard

Meryl Picard

CHAIRWOMAN, BISHOP PAIUTE TRIBAL COUNCIL
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A lot of the times we come up short at the end of the month. So any sort of money we can save is helpful, and multiplying it over the months, it's a good amount that we're saving with solar. And it doesn't only benefit me, it benefits everybody in these apartments. I'm very grateful for that.

Miguel Rios

Miguel Rios

TENANT
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I'm most excited about continuing the solar installations across our portfolio and showing our peers in affordable housing how it's easy to do—and that it makes a difference. I definitely recommend the program to every affordable housing provider. It delivers clean energy, not just for residents, but for the whole community.

Laura Hall

Laura Hall

CEO PRESIDENT OF EAH HOUSING
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The SOMAH Program plays a vital role in this effort by facilitating equitable access to the cost-saving benefits of solar for both property owners and residents.

Farrah Khan - Mayor of Irvine

Farrah Khan

Mayor of Irvine
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The money savings makes us most excited, being able to save $50 a month will really help out. We'll be able to go on a family vacation and buy clothes.

Maria Garcia

Maria Garcia

Tenant
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The projects that we have done at Saint Mary's include putting in the solar system, changing the entire water heating system, from gas to electric and all of the ventilation system for the community rooms, as well as for the hallways. We know that the total cost has been about $1 million, and the incentives that were received by us through SOMAH, BayREN, TECH and LIWP total about $900,000- and we only had to expend about $100,000 to complete all of these changes at the project. So clearly, there's a tremendous amount of incentives.

Gideon Anders

Gideon Anders

Treasurer, Saint Mary's Elderly Housing Corporation
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We can generate power upstairs and directly supply electricity to each household. The installation of solar power can save on electricity costs for us residents. Because we are all low-income seniors, having electricity costs subsidies is crucial.

Joseph Wang

Joseph Wang

Tenant 
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Working with the SOMAH project doing multi-families, I really learned a lot doing the commercial side of solar. I think others should get involved with the SOMAH Program for training purposes and helping the community to learn a lot of good skills that can get you hired in the fields you may not have imagined that you can work in before and you're helping out the people that live around you in your community long term.

Erica Cook

Erica Cook

SOMAH Job Trainee

SOMAH is directed by the California Public Utilities Commission within the service territories of the following investor-owned utilities.

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Pacific Corp logo

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