No cost solar-plus-storage planned for residents and businesses in Washington D.C. area

Electriq Power, Inc. a provider of intelligent and integrated energy storage solutions, announces its partnership with SEDC Solar, that aims to provide complete solar and battery storage systems to low- to middle-income (LMI) homeowners, churches, and businesses across the Washington D.C. metro area.

The program will provide rooftop solar panels, battery installation, and ongoing repairs and maintenance for 20 years at no cost to the home or business owner. Financed through local and federal government tax incentives, the program will help lower utility costs and provide reliable backup energy to some of Washington’s most economically distressed wards, as well as other areas of the National Capital Region.

“We’re proud to continue our efforts to expand access to reliable and affordable clean energy in communities that will be impacted by climate change,” said Michele Tihami, Chief Revenue Officer of Electriq Power. “We’re happy to have found a partner in SEDC Solar that believes the benefits of energy storage and renewable energy generation should be available to all, regardless of economic status.”

Electriq is no stranger to such a program. The company is currently partnering on a similar program with the City of Parlier, Calif., a rural farming community in the state’s Central Valley. Both programs seek to expand access to renewable energy where home solar and storage would typically be economically out of reach. Definitions of LMI households vary, but in the United States are commonly considered to be those earning less than 80% of the area median income. In California’s San Francisco County, for example, the household would have to make less than around $95,310 to qualify

The benefits extend to the local community with job creation and training in technical installation and repairs, as well as roles in both sales and marketing. As an example, for every 50 homes or 12 churches, the program hires and trains one employee to ensure system efficiency, quality, and to further the program’s reach within local communities.

Another potential effect of such programs is spillover, which has been shown in several studies to occur when a neighbor sees that a neighbor has installed solar, and they become interested and are “primed” for adopting solar themselves. It appears that is true for LMI households as well as others, according to recent research from Lawrence Berkeley National Labs.

“SEDC Solar is a vehicle for people to Do Well and Do Good at the same time,” says Thomas Jones, Manager of SEDC Solar. “There is a true opportunity to provide equitable solutions to communities in the D.C. area and we’re proud to call Electriq Power a partner in this endeavor.”

SEDC Solar is a Washington D.C. based Opportunity Zone Business whose mission is to deliver solar, create jobs and enrich the communities that they serve. Their initial focus in Washington D.C. is in Wards 8,7, and 4, providing solar and storage to homes, businesses, and churches at no cost. SEDC Solar gets its funding from the NetZero Opportunity Zone Fund.