Applications open in NV for $156M in federally funded community rooftop solar

Nevada’s “green bank” is now looking to distribute $156 million in federal funds to help thousands of low-income households benefit from solar power, whether they own property or not. 

While rooftop solar has exploded in popularity, high upfront costs and physical constraints have prevented lower-income residents and renters from reaping the benefits of low-cost solar power. 

One solution enabled by the Inflation Reduction Act – the largest U.S. investment in clean energy ever – directs solar financing to governments, nonprofits, and businesses willing to share at least half of their solar energy gains with low-income households in exchange for millions in upfront financing. 

The IRA-funded Nevada Clean Energy Fund — the state’s first green bank — opened intake applications last week for multifamily affordable housing property owners and community solar hosts that want to take advantage of the hefty federal funding.

“We are thrilled to begin making financial assistance available under such an unprecedented program in Nevada,” said Kirsten Stasio, CEO of the Nevada Clean Energy Fund.

The multi-million dollar “Solar for All” grant is expected to help finance about 125 multifamily affordable housing and community solar projects across Nevada. Those Solar for All projects are expected to lower energy costs by at least 20% for more than 20,000 low-income and disadvantaged households in Nevada by 2029.

Nevada received the highest Solar for All grant per capita of any state. In fact, Nevada received the same award amount as Florida, Illinois, and Pennsylvania — states with significantly higher populations.

Hosts for community solar projects will be eligible for up to $5,000,000 in funding per installation under the Nevada Solar for All program, while multifamily affordable housing properties could receive up to $2,000,000 in funding per installation. 

The Nevada Clean Energy Fund is aiming to finalize agreements and distribute funds to awardees 60 days after a formal application is submitted.

More than 50 potential awardees have already started the initial process to become hosts for solar projects financed through the bank, said Janette Zambrano, a community engagement manager for the Nevada Clean Energy Fund.

Churches, local governments, nonprofits, and businesses are all potential hosts for community solar sites financed by the green bank. Zambrano said the green bank is also working with some of the largest nonprofit affordable housing developers, including Nevada HAND, to identify potential multifamily affordable housing project sites. 

The program opens the doors for low-income residents and disadvantaged communities — those most impacted by climate change — to have access to solar energy. But that all depends on getting word to property owners in the neighborhoods most in need of relief from electricity costs. 

Chispa Nevada purchased $130,000 in bilingual television and digital ads to promote the program to Spanish speaking neighborhoods. 

“It’s not just us working on this, but a number of different organizations on the ground are really working to get the information to the people who can really benefit the most from these programs,” said Audrey Peral, the program director for Chispa Nevada.

The program works by allowing residents living in apartment complexes or other rental housing restricted from installing solar panels to subscribe to community solar projects and receive rebates. Low-income single family homes, community solar hosts, and multifamily affordable housing properties would be eligible for direct financing and technical assistance.

Multifamily affordable housing properties and community solar projects could potentially receive financing as soon as early February 2025, but financial assistance applications for single-family homeowners and community solar subscribers are not expected to launch until late spring of 2025.

While some solar advocates have expressed concerns about President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to claw back unspent Inflation Reduction Act funding and end subsidies for solar, Nevada’s green bank said all funds for the Nevada Solar for All Program have already been congressionally appropriated and legally obligated to the bank.

“It would be really unprecedented for this funding to be clawed back and given how much it helps our community in Nevada, we really expect our elected leaders to fight to maintain this funding here in the state,” Peral said. 

Construction demands for the roof-top solar projects funded by the green bank are also expected to create nearly 1,000 “high-quality jobs.” Representatives for the Nevada Clean Energy Fund said they plan to launch a workforce training program to fill gaps in the multi-family and community solar installation workforce.

Solar contractors working on projects supported by Nevada Solar for All funds require certain qualifications to ensure consumer protection and transparency. Contractors interested in working on the project can request those qualifications online. 

Lawmakers created the Nevada Clean Energy Fund in 2017, but statutory barriers and lack of funding prevented the green bank from financing large-scale community solar projects. That was until the green bank was awarded $156 million in IRA funding  by the Environmental Protection Agency in April to support community solar projects that benefit low-income households.