In 2008, the City and County of San Francisco adopted GoSolarSF, an incentive and workforce development program designed to help San Francisco become a leader in solar power, expand solar savings and job opportunities to underserved families, reduce the need for polluting fossil fuel power plants, and help achieve the City’s clean energy and climate goals. This report summarizes the market, economic and environmental benefits of solar energy systems installed or in the queue for the GoSolarSF program as of April 2014.

1. Executive
Summary
In
2008,
the
City
and
County
of
San
Francisco
adopted
GoSolarSF,
an
incentive
and
workforce
development
program
designed
to
help
San
Francisco
become
a
leader
in
solar
power,
expand
solar
savings
and
job
opportunities
to
underserved
families,
reduce
the
need
for
polluting
fossil
fuel
power
plants,
and
help
achieve
the
City’s
clean
energy
and
climate
goals.
This
report
summarizes
the
market,
economic
and
environmental
benefits
of
solar
energy
systems
installed
or
in
the
queue
for
the
GoSolarSF
program
as
of
April
2014.
Solar
Market
Development:
• More
than
3,070
solar
energy
systems
on
San
Francisco
homes,
businesses,
non-­‐profits
and
local
government
facilities
• Nearly
10,160
kW
of
total
solar
capacity
• 37%
of
residential
capacity
(kW)
on
qualifying
low-­‐income
single-­‐family
and
multi-­‐family
homes
Economic
Development:
• Installations
driving
$65
million
in
investment
in
the
local
San
Francisco
economy
• Installations
supporting
more
than
400
local
jobs
and
$19.5-­‐$22.8
million
in
wages
that
can
be
reinvested
in
the
local
economy
• Workforce
Development
program
providing
121
direct
solar
job
placements
for
San
Francisco
residents
who
otherwise
face
barriers
to
employment
• Workers
of
color
representing
the
largest
populations
served
by
the
Workforce
Development
program
with
40%
Black/African
American
and
22%
Latino/Hispanic
job
placements
• 31
solar
companies
participating
in
the
local
Workforce
Development
program
• National
solar
leaders
have
chosen
employ
hundreds
of
local
workers
because
of
GoSolarSF
and
the
City's
nationally-­‐recognized
culture
of
solar
policy
innovation
Environmental
Benefits:
• Reducing
greenhouse
gas
emissions
by
more
than
172,631,800
pounds
over
the
lifetime
of
installed
systems,
helping
meet
the
City’s
climate
action
goals
• Reducing
the
need
for
fossil-­‐based
peak
power
generation,
which
has
historically
disproportionately
impacted
the
health
of
low-­‐income
families
GoSolarSF
has
encouraged
significant
private
investment
in
San
Francisco’s
local
solar
market,
which
has
delivered
economic
and
environmental
benefits
to
the
greater
community.
The
landmark
solar
program
has
given
thousands
of
San
Francisco
energy
consumers
control
over
their
electricity
sources
and
utility
bills
by
making
solar
power
a
cost-­‐effective
option.
The
program’s
focus
on
empowering
low-­‐income
and
underserved
members
of
the
community
to
participate
in
and
benefit
from
the
city’s
growing
solar
economy
has
proven
particularly
successful.
GoSolarSF
has
helped
make
San
Francisco
a
national
leader
on
clean
energy,
green
jobs
and
climate
action.
GoSolarSF:
Environmental
&
Economic
Impacts

2. Introduction
Across
the
country
and
around
the
world,
the
race
is
on
to
build
local
solar
power
markets
-­‐
vibrant
new
hubs
of
job
creation,
energy
innovation
and
economic
opportunity.
In
2008,
the
Mayor,
the
Board
of
Supervisors
and
the
SFPUC
Commission
adopted
GoSolarSF,
a
solar
incentive
and
workforce
development
program
to
help
San
Francisco
become
a
leader
in
this
new
energy
economy.
The
program
was
designed
to
achieve
the
following
goals:
• Encourage
the
installation
of
solar
power
systems
by
homeowners,
businesses
and
non-­‐
profit
organizations
(including
local
government)
through
a
one-­‐time
incentive
payment
to
reduce
solar
project
costs
• Support
solar
projects
for
low-­‐income
households
and
installations
in
San
Francisco’s
environmental
justice
zip
codes
94107
and
94124
• Provide
quality
job
opportunities
to
San
Francisco
residents
who
face
barriers
to
such
employment
through
a
Workforce
Development
program
• Deliver
additional
economic,
climate
and
public
health
benefits
by
making
San
Francisco
a
leader
in
our
nation’s
growing
solar
industry
GoSolarSF
is
administered
by
the
San
Francisco
Public
Utilities
Commission
(SFPUC)
Power
Enterprise
and
is
based
on
the
Solar
Energy
Incentive
Program
ordinance,
which
outlines
a
10-­‐year
program
with
the
objective
of
a
budget
of
$2
million
to
$5
million
annually.
This
report
quantifies
market,
economic
and
environment
impacts
of
the
GoSolarSF
from
its
inception
through
April
2014.
Solar
Market
Development:
Stable,
transparent
incentive
programs
can
help
lower
the
cost
of
going
solar
for
customers
and
build
a
strong
local
solar
marketplace
that
further
drives
down
costs.
GoSolarSF
provides
one-­‐time
incentive
payments
to
spur
solar
installations
on
San
Francisco
homes,
businesses
and
non-­‐profit
organizations
(including
local
government
facilities).
Since
2008,
the
GoSolarSF
program
has
provided
$19.4
million
in
market-­‐building
incentives.
In
that
time,
the
program
has
resulted
in
the
installation
of
more
than
2,761
solar
energy
systems
on
San
Francisco
homes,
businesses,
non-­‐profits
and
local
government
facilities,
with
an
additional
310
systems
in
the
queue
to
receive
GoSolarSF
incentives.
Those
3,701
total
systems
represent
nearly
10,160
kilowatts
(kW)
of
installed
capacity.
Annual
installations
have
varied
by
fiscal
year
as
program
funding
has
varied
with
market
demand
often
exceeding
available
incentives.
Year
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
(April)
TOTAL
Systems
362
710
362
475
348
580
234
3071
GoSolarSF:
Number
of
Systems
Installed
or
In
Queue

3. Low-­‐Income
Focus:
The
GoSolarSF
program
provides
additional
solar
incentives
for
low-­‐income
single-­‐
and
multi-­‐family
homes
and
in
the
city’s
economic
justice
zip
codes.
These
provisions
are
designed
to
ensure
that
utility
bill
savings
and
the
other
benefits
of
going
solar
are
accessible
to
disadvantaged
families
who
need
them
most.
Program
data
shows
that
GoSolarSF’s
has
proven
successful
in
making
solar
accessible
to
low-­‐
income
San
Francisco
families.
Fully
37%
of
the
total
residential
capacity
installed
or
in
the
queue
for
the
program
to
date
has
been
on
qualifying
low-­‐income
properties.
General
Residendal
63%
Single-­‐Family
Low-­‐
Income
16%
Muld-­‐Family
Low-­‐
Income
21%
GoSolarSF:
Residential
Installed
Capacity
(kW)
GoSolarSF
Benefits
Those
Who
Need
It
Most
ESPANOLA
JACKSON,
a
community
and
environmental
justice
advocate
for
more
than
50
years,
is
affectionately
referred
to
as
“The
Godmother
of
Hunters
Point.”
She
is
a
veteran
of
decades
of
on-­‐the-­‐
ground
efforts
to
shut
down
polluting
power
plants
in
San
Francisco’s
southeast
neighborhoods
and
is
proud
to
be
one
of
the
first
homeowners
to
utilize
GoSolarSF’s
low-­‐income
incentive.
“Back
in
early
2009
I
read
in
the
paper
that
low-­‐income
San
Franciscans
were
not
utilizing
the
solar
incentive
that
is
available
to
those
of
modest
means,”
said
Jackson.
“I’m
retired
on
a
fixed
income
so
I
called
up
[environmental
justice
non-­‐profit]
Brightline
to
help
me
put
together
my
low-­‐income
application
to
go
solar.”
A
few
months
later,
Jackson
helped
kicked
off
a
solar
revolution
in
the
Bayview
Hunters
Point
community
with
the
help
of
local
solar
company
Luminalt
and
non-­‐profit
installer
GRID
Alternatives.
Jackson
has
paid
an
average
of
less
than
$10
a
month
for
her
electricity
ever
since
and
she
remains
one
of
GoSolarSF’s
strongest
supporters,
even
testifying
before
the
California
state
legislature
about
the
impact
that
solar
has
had
on
her
community.
“We
made
a
community
celebration
out
of
it
on
Memorial
Day
weekend
with
a
barbecue
and
free
solar
training
for
15
local
young
people
thanks
to
Luminalt
and
GRID.
“It
was
all
over
the
news
and
within
a
month,
my
neighbors
and
people
all
across
Hunters
Point
were
applying
for
their
own
solar
power.”
-­‐-­‐
Espanola
Jackson,
Solar
Customer

4. Economic
Development:
Investment
in
distributed
solar
ensures
that
energy
dollars
stay
in
the
community
and
deliver
returns
throughout
the
local
economy.
GoSolarSF
was
intended
to
leverage
public
incentive
dollars
to
unlock
such
private
investment
the
community.
Solar
energy
systems
that
have
been
installed
or
are
in
the
queue
to
participate
in
the
GoSolarSF
program
will
drive
$65
million
in
total
public-­‐private
investment.
That
means,
on
average,
every
$1
of
public
funds
provided
by
the
City
has
resulted
in
a
$3.35
investment
in
the
local
San
Francisco
economy.
Job
Creation:
Solar
creates
more
jobs
per
energy
unit
than
any
other
electricity
resource.
The
majority
of
solar’s
tremendous
job
creation
opportunity
is
related
to
project
development
and
installation,
representing
employment
opportunities
that
are
inherently
local
to
the
communities
they
serve.
These
are
high-­‐quality
jobs
across
a
range
of
education
requirements
and
sectors.
GoSolarSF
Drives
Local
Business
Growth
JEANINE
COTTER
is
the
co-­‐founder
and
CEO
of
San
Francisco-­‐based
solar
installer
Luminalt.
Founded
in
2004,
Luminalt
is
San
Francisco’s
only
certified
Women
Business
Enterprise
solar
installer.
The
company
has
installed
more
San
Francisco
solar
systems
than
any
other
installer
based
on
California’s
solar
incentive
program
data.
“We
build
high
performing
beautiful
solar
systems
with
talented
well
trained
installers
and
office
support,
many
of
whom
came
to
Luminalt
through
local
training
organizations
that
work
with
disadvantaged
communities”
says
Cotter.
Luminalt
was
the
first
San
Francisco
installer
to
become
GoSolarSF
workforce
development-­‐certified.
GoSolarSF
local
hiring
guidelines
have
led
to
121
jobs
for
disadvantaged
San
Franciscans
at
companies
such
as
Luminalt,
SolarCity,
Occidental
Power,
and
Real
Goods
Solar.
For
a
250
kW
installation
at
Fort
Mason,
Luminalt
partnered
with
the
Laborers
Unions
to
build
one
of
San
Francisco’s
biggest
solar
projects
in
recent
years.
“There
is
a
wealth
of
talent
that
is
untapped
and
often
overlooked
in
neighborhoods
that
have
been
plagued
by
income
disparity,
joblessness
and
environmental
degradation,”
says
Jeanine
one
of
few
women
who
holds
a
California
solar
specialty
contractor’s
license,
“GoSolarSF
creates
jobs
for
these
individuals
and
grows
the
local
solar
economy.”
19.4
65
GoSolarSF
Incendve
Total
Solar
Investment
Local
Investment:
$
(Millions)
“San
Francisco
continues
to
innovate
with
programs
that
drive
objectives
which
we
care
about
as
a
community.
GoSolarSF
is
unlike
any
solar
incentive
program
in
the
country.
It
makes
solar
possible
for
low-­‐income
customers,
non-­‐profits,
tenants,
and
businesses
while
creating
good
local
jobs.”
-­‐-­‐
Jeanine
Cotter,
Business
Owner

5. Based
on
an
approximate
average
labor
costs
on
qualifying
installations,
systems
installed
or
in
the
queue
for
GoSolarSF
have
directly
supported
406-­‐474
solar
jobs
and
$19.5-­‐$22.8
million
in
solar
wages.1
National
solar
leaders
such
as
Sunrun
have
chosen
to
headquarter
in
San
Francisco
and
employ
hundreds
of
local
workers
because
of
GoSolarSF
and
the
City's
nationally
recognized
culture
of
solar
policy
innovation.
The
program
has
also
supported
additional
indirect
jobs
and
economic
activity
through
a
multiplier
effect,
as
those
solar
wages
are
largely
spent
within
the
community
at
local
businesses.
Workforce
Development:
In
addition
to
tapping
into
solar’s
general
job
creation
ability,
the
GoSolarSF
program
is
intended
to
provide
a
pathway
to
employment
in
the
sector
for
disadvantaged
residents.
As
such,
installations
receiving
GoSolarSF
incentive
payments
must
be
performed
by
contractors
employing
graduates
of
the
City’s
Workforce
Development
Program.
This
requirement
does
not
apply
to
non-­‐profit
installers
or
to
installers
with
three
or
fewer
employees
operating
their
principal
place
of
business
in
San
Francisco.
To
date,
GoSolarSF’s
Workforce
Development
program
has
provided
121
solar
job
placements
for
San
Francisco
residents
who
otherwise
face
barriers
to
employment.
Thirty-­‐one
solar
companies
have
hired
graduates
of
this
community
based
job-­‐training
program.
Workers
of
color
represented
the
largest
populations
served
by
the
Workforce
Development
program
with
40%
of
job
placements
reporting
as
Black
or
African
American
and
22%
reporting
as
Latino
or
Hispanic.
2
GoSolarSF
Creates
Jobs
for
Disadvantaged
San
Franciscans
ASIAN
NEIGHBORHOOD
DESIGN
(AND)
was
founded
in
1973
by
a
group
of
UC
Berkeley
architecture
students
determined
to
improve
living
conditions
for
low-­‐income
immigrant
families
and
seniors
in
San
Francisco
and
Oakland
Chinatowns.
AND’s
Employment
Training
Center
(ETC)
was
established
five
years
later
with
a
goal
of
providing
job
training
to
at-­‐risk
jobseekers
with
barriers
to
employment.
Since
2008,
the
ETC’s
green
construction
training
program
has
been
the
most
successful
launching
pad
for
economically
disadvantaged
workers
seeking
jobs
through
GoSolarSF.
In
fact,
more
than
half
of
GoSolarSF’s
121
workforce
development
hires
to
date
are
AND
graduates.
Graduates
of
AND’s
14-­‐week
green
construction
training
program
have
found
employment
with
solar
companies
such
as
Luminalt,
SolarCity,
Sungevity,
and
Real
Goods.
AND
has
helped
elevate
GoSolarSF’s
profile
as
not
only
a
successful
solar
program
but
a
job
generator
for
low-­‐income
communities
of
color
and
workers
that
policy
makers
seek
to
serve
in
advancing
equity
in
the
green
economy.
“We’re
proud
of
our
track
record
of
delivering
on
the
promise
of
equal
opportunity
in
the
green
economy.
GoSolarSF
is
a
workforce
development
program
that
has
created
green
jobs
that
have
helped
80%
of
our
graduates
secure
employment
within
6
months.”
-­‐-­‐
Erica
Sklar,
AND
Executive
Director

6.
End
Notes:
1
Estimated
based
on
an
approximate
30-­35%
labor
costs
on
covered
installations
and
an
average
$48,000
annual
salary
for
full-­time
employment
2
SF
OEWD
program
data
3NAACP,
“Just
Energy
Policies:
Reducing
Pollution
and
Creating
Jobs,"
2013.
4
20-­year
production
total
based
off
of
.5%/year
degradation,
assumptions
from
PV
Watts,
and
using
PGE
ClimateSmart
GHG
emissions
factor
(0.524
lbs
CO2
per
kWh)
Prepared
June
2014
Report
Authors:
Rosalind
Jackson,
Vote
Solar
Kevin
Armstrong,
Vote
Solar
Acknowledgements:
Brightline
Defense
Luminalt
Photo
Credits:
Luminalt,
Bob
Carmichael
Thank
you
to
the
San
Francisco
Public
Utilities
Commission
and
San
Francisco
Office
of
Workforce
Development
for
providing
GoSolarSF
incentive
participation
and
workforce
data.
About
Vote
Solar:
Headquartered
in
San
Francisco
since
2002,
Vote
Solar
is
a
non-­‐profit
grassroots
organization
working
to
make
solar
a
mainstream
energy
resource
across
the
U.S.
www.votesolar.org
Environmental
Benefits:
Clean,
reliable
electricity
from
the
sun
reduces
the
need
for
fossil
power
generation,
a
major
source
of
greenhouse
gas
emissions
and
other
harmful
air
pollution.
The
solar
energy
systems
installed
through
GoSolarSF
reduce
the
need
for
fossil-­‐based
peak
power
generation,
which
has
historically
disproportionately
impacted
the
health
of
low-­‐
income
families.
3
Assuming
a
minimum
20-­‐year
system
lifetime,
systems
installed
or
in
the
queue
for
GoSolarSF
will
also
reduce
harmful
carbon
pollution
by
172,631,800
pounds.
4
Because
the
City
retains
the
renewable
energy
credits
generated
by
the
program,
GoSolarSF
provides
a
real
economic
and
regulatory
compliance
value
as
San
Francisco
seeks
to
meet
its
climate
action
goals.