Single-Family Affordable Solar Homes (SASH) Program - Closed
NOTE: This program is closed. For more information, contact the Program Administrator, GRID Alternatives at (866) 921-4696 or SASH@gridalternatives.org, or visit www.gridalternatives.org.
The Single-family Affordable Solar Homes (SASH) Program has issued the final SASH Semi-Annual Progress Report covering the last two quarters of 2022.
Highlights and milestones of the program include:
- Nearly 10,000 PV systems were installed and interconnected.
- 5,261 SASH 1.0 and 4,552 SASH 2.0
- These projects encumbered approximately $137.9 million in incentives and represent over 30 MW of solar capacity.
- The SASH program referred over 10,922 low-income homeowners to the utilities' Energy Savings Assistance programs.
About the SASH Program
A component of the California Solar Initiative (CSI), the SASH Program provided solar incentives on qualifying affordable single-family housing. The goals of the SASH program were to:
- Decrease electricity usage by solar installation and reduce energy bills without increasing monthly expenses
- Provide full and partial incentives for solar systems for low-income participants
- Offer the power of solar and energy efficiency to homeowners
- Decrease the expense of solar ownership with a higher incentive than the General CSI Program
- Develop energy solutions that are environmentally and economically sustainable
- Provide job training and employment opportunities in the solar energy and energy efficiency sectors of the economy.
The SASH program provided qualified low-income homeowners fixed, up front, capacity-based incentives to help offset the upfront cost of a solar electric system.
Eligible applicants had to:
- Receive electrical service from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), or San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E),
- Own and live in their home,
- Have a household income that is 80% or below the area median income (AMI),
- Live in a home defined as “affordable housing” by California Public Utilities Code 2852.
The SASH program offered one incentive level of $3 per watt.
Regulatory History
The Commission authorized the SASH Program in Decision (D.) 07-11-045.
Assembly Bill 217 (Bradford, 2013) extended the SASH and MASH programs of the California Solar Initiative with $108 million in new funding, and set several new goals for the programs.
The Energy Division authored a July 2014 staff proposal regarding the implementation of AB 217 at the Commission. For this and all other documents released in the Commission’s R.12-11-005 rulemaking, please visit the R.12-11-005 Docket Card page. On January 29, 2015, the CPUC issued (D.) 15-01-027 to revise SASH’s enrollment eligibility requirements, capacity target, job training requirements, incentive levels, and allow third-party project ownership.
On April 29, 2015 the CPUC approved the SASH Handbook, outlining information and guidelines for the reauthorized SASH program.
SASH Program Evaluations
There were three program evaluation cycles in the SASH program. The links below include final reports for the Program Administrator assessments, Market Assessments, and Impact and Cost Benefit Analyses for the program years evaluated.
All Program Years (close of program)
- Process and Load Impact Evaluation of the Single-Family Affordable Solar Housing Program (SASH)
- Appendices
Program Years 2011-2013
- California Solar Initiative SASH and MASH Market and Program Administrator Assessment, Programs Years 2011-2013
- California Solar Initiative SASH and MASH Impact and Cost-Benefit Analysis, Program Years 2011-2013
Program Years 2009-2010
- California Solar Initiative SASH and MASH Low-Income Evaluations
- CSI SASH and MASH Impact and Cost Benefit Report
- CSI SASH Biennial Report
- CSI SASH and MASH Program Administrator Performance Assessment Report (March 2011)
- CSI SASH and MASH Market Assessment Report
Contact Us
You are welcome to contact the CPUC if you have any questions about information on this webpage. For press inquiries, please contact the CPUC External Affairs Division.