California Energy Commission Awarded Clean Energy Award for New Solar Homes Partnership
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| Timothy Tutt (President of the CESA Board) and Elizabeth Hutchison (NSHP Program Lead at CEC) |
The NSHP program was one of six programs nationwide to win an award from the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), a nonprofit coalition of public agencies working together to advance clean energy.
The NSHP, a component of the comprehensive California Solar Initiative (CSI), provides financial incentives and other support to builders, developers, and homeowners to encourage the construction of new, energy-efficient solar homes.
As of January 2016, the NSHP has installed or reserved funds for 141.8 megawatt of solar capacity.
It has already helped boost the new home solar penetration rate in the state from less than 1 percent to more than 20 percent. Over time, participation in the NSHP has grown dramatically – by 321 percent - between 2009 and 2016, according to an Energy Commission report.
The NSHP program focuses on new home construction as a way to lower upfront installation costs of solar energy systems by incorporating the systems seamlessly into the design of a building and installing the photovoltaic system while other construction activities are underway.
“We’re honored to get this award from CESA for our work on the New Solar Homes Partnership program,” said Energy Commissioner David Hochschild. “The award acknowledges the impact that the NHSP program has had in helping homebuilders build greener homes that use less energy, save money, and reduce pollution.”
The Clean Energy Award was established as a biennial award to highlight model programs and projects that have accelerated the adoption of clean energy technologies and strengthened clean energy markets.
The recipients of the awards were chosen by an independent panel of five distinguished judges, each with years of experience in clean energy.
