In total, the solar arrays will generate 790 kilowatts, or 1.1 megawatt-hours, of electricity. Three of the communities to receive solar power are in San Francisco and one is in Richmond, a city just north of Berkeley.
The systems will be financed by power purchase agreements, which have become popular among homeowners and businesses looking to install solar panels but anxious about the upfront costs. Under a PPA, private installers or municipalities pay the upfront cost of solar installations and receive payment over an extended period of time. Berkeley was the first city to have a PPA program; homeowners who participate pay back the costs of their solar power system through a 20-year property tax assessment.
The PPAs provided for the four affordable housing developments will be provided by Real Goods Solar, a private solar installer. Residents of the four communities will pay for the electricity generated by the solar panels at lower rates than they pay for conventional electricity.
The solar panel systems "will produce low-cost power for decades to come," Real Goods Solar president John Schaeffer said.
