The $86.6 Million award given to Oregon to support solar installations for Low-Income households, Spring 2024

The Oregon Solar for All Coalition – which comprises the Oregon Department of Energy, Energy Trust of Oregon, and Bonneville Environmental Foundation –  has been awarded $86.6 Million from a federally funded grant, called Solar For All, to provide sustainable and clean energy to low income Oregon households. This funding comes from the U.S. EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund that was created by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

The Coalition has five main goals to achieve with the funding, according to the Oregon Solar + Storage Industries Association:

1. Support solar installations at low-income single-family households with little to no upfront customer cost.

2. Provide rebates for solar projects on multifamily buildings to provide tangible benefits to low-income tenants.

3. Offer financial and technical assistance to develop community solar projects that benefit low income participants under the Oregon Community Solar Program. 

4. Offer financial and technical assistance to develop community solar projects that benefit low income participants in consumer-owned utility service areas. 

5. Strengthen the state’s workforce development activities.

Not all solar companies can offer this funding because they don’t qualify with the Oregon Department of Energy’s (ODOE) contractor criteria which was put in place for consumer protection. ODOE will be managing all of the applications related to the Solar For All grant.  

Energy Design is a trade ally of ODOE and The Energy Trust of Oregon, so we are qualified to apply for grant funding on behalf of our clients and partners. 

What to expect going forward as an eligible participant with Energy Design

Within the next Calendar year of mid 2025 to early 2026, ODOE will be ready to accept and process Solar For All applications.

To be prepared, we advise anyone who believes they will be eligible for this grant to act on the following criteria before the opening begins:

1. Make sure your house has a clear view to the South and/or West. This means getting rid of any tree shading or ruling out whether your South and West roof are shaded. 

2. Update your roof. The roof of your home needs to be new or replaced within the last 5 years if it has composite shingles. A standing seam metal roofing would be fine as is. Unfortunately, manufactured homes will not qualify.

3. Review the currently published LMI information to see if you qualify as low income. Stay up to date on the Solar For All Program as well.

4. Request a copy of your Oregon Tax Transcript for the year prior to the program opening (2024 or possible 2025).  The state will not accept a copy of the federal tax documents (unless you moved to Oregon within that calendar year and therefore don’t have a full year’s worth of Oregon Tax Transcript – that is the only situation where they would accept a federal tax transcript).

5. Keep up to date on ALL of the rebate, grant and loan programs offered through the Oregon Dept. of Energy.  Even if you do not have the perfect site for solar, you may be able to take advantage of programs in the next year that will help pay for windows, insulation, electrical and HVAC upgrades!

We look forward to helping future clients who will benefit from this grant and achieve affordable clean energy!