Solar Power for Low Income Communities

The Association of California Community and Energy Services (ACCES) comprise non-profit organizations, Community Action Agencies, and community-based organizations, which provide services to low income households throughout California.

ACCES members provide a variety of social service programs to California's low-income communities aimed at decreasing California's carbon footprint. Programs such as utility assistance payments and home weatherization are designed to reduce the burden of utility costs for low-income families and increase the level of energy efficiency in existing housing stock.

Funding for this work is provided by the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Department of Energy, the California Solar Initiative, and the California Public Utilities Commission’s Low-Income Energy Efficiency program, administered by the regional utility companies.

Although climate change affects everyone, it has the potential to disproportionately impact low-income communities. In an effort to better the lives of low-income communities, ACCES members provide a variety of social service programs to California’s low-income communities aimed at decreasing California’s carbon foot-print and lowering the impact of high energy costs on working families.

ACCES and the member organizations are working not just to promote solar technologies but have them offered and installed to the low-income communities we serve. Presently ACCES is in partnership with Central Coast Energy Services, Morgan Stanley Solar Solutions and 12 Energy Service Providers to install 600 solar photo voltaic systems on low-income multi-family dwellings.

Learn More About Acces