Clean Power Alliance's Solar and Battery Access program will offer single family homeowners access to solar and battery storage systems at no purchase or installation cost through a combination of federal tax credits, California SGIP (Self Generation Incentive Program) rebates, and funding from CPA and Haven Energy. This program will be available for CPA residential customers who meet eligibility requirements and are at or below 80% AMI (Area Median Income). CPA has capacity for 300 homes to participate in this program. 

Yes! Through Clean Power Alliance’s Solar and Battery Access program, qualifying homeowners can have a solar and battery system installed at no purchase or installation cost. This means you won't have to pay anything for the solar and battery storage system or make monthly payments beyond your typical electricity bill. The program does not require credit checks or a property lien either. To qualify, homeowners must own their home and meet certain income requirements.

There are three primary requirements to qualify for the Solar and Battery Access program

1. You must be a CPA residential customer
2. You must own your home
3. Your household income must be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) verified through proof of total household income, typically with a 1040 tax form. Homeowners who are enrolled in one of the Energy Saving Assistance programs listed below are likely to qualify for the 80% AMI threshold:

• •  
• California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE)
• Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA)
• Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) program

As part of enrollment, the program will evaluate the technical feasibility of installing solar and storage based on your home’s configuration, roof structure, and space for equipment among other things.

If you meet these requirements, you could have a solar and battery system installed at no purchase or installation cost to you, pending availability of funding. You will still be responsible for any electricity charges on your monthly bill. Being eligible does not guarantee you a system. Funding is first-come, first-serve, and we expect high demand for these systems.

See if you qualify today.

Qualifying customers will contact Haven Energy, a residential and commercial solar and battery developer selected by CPA to administer this program to begin the process of evaluating your home for solar and battery storage. Once your eligibility is confirmed for the Solar and Battery Access program, Haven Energy will perform a site survey and create a custom solar and battery proposal. This proposal will include the size of the solar and battery storage system, the projected monthly savings on your electric bill, and the estimated backup time provided by your battery. The site survey will take 1-2 hours and will be scheduled with Haven Energy. The goal of the site survey is to examine the home for solar and battery storage compatibility.

Once your home is successfully vetted for a solar and battery storage system, Haven Energy will prepare an Energy Service Agreement. If you agree with the scope and terms of enrollment, you’ll sign the Energy Services Agreement with Haven Energy to participate.

The Solar and Battery Access program and the Energy Services Agreement with Haven Energy will end after 10 years from the Operation Date^[1] your solar and battery storage system. After 10 years, ownership of the systems will be transferred over to you (or a subsequent homeowner) or removed (if requested). You may purchase the System from Haven Energy prior to 10 years for a purchase price equal to the Fair Market Value ^[2] of the System. You shall notify Haven Energy of its intent to purchase at least ninety (90) days and not more than one hundred eighty (180) days before the end of the Term.

Administered by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the SGIP Residential Solar and Storage Equity program (RSSE) rebate seeks to incentivize homeowners to adopt solar and battery storage because it can help improve grid stability. As the demand for electricity continues to rise, programs like the SGIP RSSE rebate can help protect the power grid while also giving families a practical tool for lowering bills and securing reliable power.

The SGIP RSSE rebate is funded by the federal government (through the Inflation Reduction Act).

As part of the Solar and Battery Access program, battery storage systems will participate in a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) controlled by Clean Power Alliance. This Virtual Power Plant will help reduce electricity use during times of high demand when the grid is under stress. By controlling battery storage systems through a Virtual Power Plant, your battery system will team up with others to provide stored energy to the power supply and help stabilize the grid, lowering prices for you and everyone else. This will be done on your behalf by Clean Power Alliance.

Virtual Power Plants are a benefit to customers as they can maximize bill savings potential. Further, a dedicated minimum of 20% of the battery’s capacity will always be intact for backup power operations.

A solar and battery storage system lets you generate and store electricity to use whenever you like. By producing your own energy, you can lower your electric bills. Electricity gets stored in your battery, which you can use to power your home at night or from 4pm to 9pm, when time-of-use rates are most expensive.

1. Energy savings: Homeowners with solar and battery systems can typically lower their electric bill by an average of
2. Backup power: With a solar and battery system, homeowners can secure reliable power during an outage
3. Lower CO2 emissions: Producing and storing electricity that comes from a renewable resource lowers your household emissions by over 2,600 lbs of CO2e a year

Solar panels capture sunlight and convert it into electricity. The electricity that's produced by your panels is called direct current (DC). DC electricity can't be used by your home so we use a device called an inverter to change it to alternating current (AC).

After the energy is converted from DC to AC, it's ready to be used in your home. Here's what happens next:

1. Electrical panel: The AC electricity is sent to your home's electrical panel (also called a breaker box). This panel distributes the electricity to different parts of your home, powering lights, appliances, and other devices.
2. Energy usage: The electricity flows through the wiring in your home to power things like your refrigerator, TV, and computer – just like the electricity you get from the grid.
3. Storing surplus: If solar panels generate more electricity than your home needs, the extra energy can be stored in a battery to supply your home in the evening when rates are most expensive, at night when your panels are no longer producing, or during a power outage. 

Many homeowners have some part of their roof which can have solar panels installed. Here are the key factors used to decide whether you have a good roof for solar:

• Orientation: A south-facing roof is ideal for maximizing sunlight and energy production. East- or west-facing roofs still work but produce about 75% of the energy of a south-facing roof.
• Shading: Your roof should be mostly free of shade during the day. Trees, chimneys, and vents can block sunlight, so Haven Energy will check for shading during the system design process.
• Surface: Solar panels work best on large, open areas. Obstacles like dormers, chimneys, and skylights can limit space for panels. Building codes also require some space for walkways on the roof and setbacks from some edges and roof peaks and valleys.
• Age: If your roof is over 15 years old, consider replacing it before installing solar. Panels are designed to last at least 25 years, so the roof should last just as long.

Solar panels can be installed on the most common types of roofs. They are attached using a racking system that depends on your roof's structure and material. Here are common roof types and how solar is installed:

• Asphalt shingle roofs: The most common roof type. Flashings and rails are used to secure the panels.
• Tile roofs: Special hooks are used to attach the panels between the tiles. Older, brittle tiles may need replacement before installation
• Concrete tile roofs: Solar can be installed on most concrete tile roofs using hook-based mounting systems.
• Clay tile roofs: Solar may be able to be installed on heavier weight clay tiles, but there will be some risk of tile breakage during installation.
• Flat/membrane roofs: Solar is installed using bolted feet and welded membrane boots to ensure secure mounting and eliminate risk of leaks.

Solar panels cannot be installed on slate, wood shake, foam, torchdown and a few other less common rooftypes due to the risk of roof leaks from the mounting of racking systems required to install the solar panels. 

Haven Energy will assess roof compatibility during the initial consultation and during a site survey where a technician will visit your home to gather information needed to plan the system design details.

A battery system stores electricity from the power grid or from solar panels. Most batteries are made of lithium-ion technology, similar to what's used in smartphones and electric vehicles. These batteries are popular because they're efficient, have a long lifespan, and can store a large amount of energy in a relatively small space.

When solar panels produce extra electricity, it can be stored in batteries to use later, when time-of-use rates are high or when your panels aren't producing. In the event of an outage, the battery will automatically provide backup power to your home.

Battery systems operate in the background, charging from solar panels (or from the grid). This stored energy provides bill savings and backup power without you having to do anything.

When the electric grid goes down, the home battery automatically isolates your house from the grid and starts powering your home. This allows you to continue using select appliances and devices until the power comes back on. All of this happens without your involvement. In fact, homeowners are often unaware that there's been a power outage in their area. Your house will reconnect to the grid when the battery system recognizes that power has been restored.

It depends! The amount of backup power you need depends on how much energy your home uses. Most people choose an "essential" backup, which keeps things like lights, refrigerators, fans, internet, and power outlets running during an outage. Batteries can also back up other appliances, like heat pumps, air conditioners, or even the whole house, but in some cases these ‘larger’ electric loads will exceed the capacity of the battery system. The final plan for backup will be determined after site survey and during the detailed system design process.  Haven Energy will attempt to provide full home backup, but may be unable to for home with multiple large loads.

Once Haven Energy checks your eligibility, they will create a custom solar and battery proposal for you. If everything looks good, you'll sign your Energy Services Agreement with Haven Energy who will gather any final documents that are required.

Our next steps completed on your behalf:

1. Submit your application for SGIP to the state
2. Once your application is approved, Haven Energy will draft and submit design plans for permits from your local county
3. Installation day! Haven Energy will install and inspect the system to make sure it meets local code, then onboard you once the system is operational
4. Once inspected, your utility will grant “Permission to Operate”, officially interconnecting the system to the grid
5. Coordinate an inspection by city, once system is operational

The installation of solar panels and battery typically takes 1 to 3 days, depending on the size and complexity of the complete system.  Haven Energy will work with you to schedule the installation.

Haven Energy partners with licensed and certified electricians and solar installers.

Haven Energy provides robust workmanship and production warranties in addition to the warranties provided by the equipment manufacturers.

Haven Energy will provide a 10-year workmanship warranty starting from the day the system is fully installed. This warranty covers the cost of fixing or replacing the system due to any defects in workmanship not otherwise covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. During these 10 years, Haven Energy will honor all manufacturer's warranty claims, provide system support, diagnose problems, and make repairs, all at no extra cost to you.

Additionally, if the installation requires making holes in your roof, a warranty against water damage caused by those penetrations will be provided. This roof warranty will last for either 10 years after the system is installed or for the duration of any current roof warranty you have, whichever is longer. This warranty only covers water damage from the work completed by Haven Energy and does not apply to any pre-existing issues with your roof.

There is a 20-year warranty against more than 10% loss in energy production if it’s due to improper installation of the solar system. And a guarantee that after 20 years, all solar energy equipment (like panels, inverters, and tracking systems) will not lose more than 15% of its original power output.

Founded in 2017, Clean Power Alliance (CPA) is the 4th largest electricity provider in California! We’re a community-driven organization that believes in a clean energy future that empowers communities and customers to choose their energy source. Clean Power Alliance was ranked as the #1 green power provider by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the NREL 2022 Utility Green Power Rankings.

Clean Power Alliance is partnering with Haven Energy to offer the Solar and Battery Access program and support the installation and operation of solar and battery storage systems.

To coordinate our Solar and Battery Access program, CPA has partnered with Haven Energy, a residential and commercial solar and battery developer dedicated to accelerating the clean energy transition. Haven Energy is a certified SGIP developer and certified California contractor (CSLB # 1104018). Learn more about Haven Energy at havenenergy.com

Contact Haven Energy at (310) 579-4489 or hello@havenenergy.com