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Solar Energy

Paramount has long championed the installation of solar panels on homes and businesses. 2010 brought solar panels on top of a mid-sized warehouse at the City Yard facility. In 2016 the City Council adopted a Small Residential Solar Energy Systems ordinance which streamlines the permitting and inspection process of small residential solar systems. Importantly, in 2018 the City formally signed a memorandum of understanding with GRID Alternatives of Greater LA, a nonprofit with the core mission of expanding solar energy systems.

Residential Solar Programs

Residential Roof Rebate Program

Program Administrator

  • The Residential Roof Rebate Program is a City of Paramount program administered by the Planning and Building Department and the City’s partner, GRID Alternatives.

Description

  • The Residential Roof Rebate Program helps low-to-moderate income homeowners living in detached single-family homes.
  • The program Paramount offers one-time rebates of up to $15,000 to homeowners who have been approved for a GRID Alternatives solar panel installation and require roof repairs to support the solar panels.
  • The Residential Roof Rebate is funded through Federal Community Project Funding through Congresswoman Nanette Barragan’s office.

Eligibility:

Energy for All

Program Administrator

  • Energy for All is a program of GRID Alternatives, a community-based nonprofit organization that connects families with state and local government programs and other resources that help them save money.

Description

  • The Energy for All Program helps low-income households, multifamily housing providers and utility partners across the country reduce electricity costs and generate community wealth with clean, renewable solar energy. 

Eligibility:

  • To see if you qualify, please visit EnergyForAllProgram.org/news or call (213) 213-5899. Plus, under Share the Savings, refer a friend or a family member and, if they use the program, you can receive a $200 referral fee.

Energy For All in Paramount:

  • The City of Paramount and its partnership with GRID Alternatives were recently featured on KCET’s “Earth Focus” television series. GRID Alternatives is a non-profit organization that provides free home solar installations to income-qualifying residents. To date, eight Paramount families have gained solar panels for their homes through the GRID Alternatives Program.
  • Watch the video below (the Paramount portion begins at 14:12)

Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH)

Program Administrator: SOMAH is overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission and is jointly administered by the Association for Energy Affordability, Center for Sustainable Energy and GRID Alternatives in collaboration with California Housing Partnership.

Details:

Eligibility

  • To qualify for eligibility for a SOMAH incentive, a property must: 
    • Have at least five units.
    • Be deed-restricted low-income residential housing
    • Satisfy one of the following:
      • 66% of the property residents have incomes at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI)

OR

      • Property is in a defined disadvantaged community (DAC) that scores in the top 25% of census tracts statewide in the CalEnviroScreen including property that is located on tribal land and is federally recognized

OR

      • The property is owned by a California Native American tribe

OR

      • The property is rental housing property that is owned by a public housing authority or public housing agency
    • Be an existing building or retrofit (new construction properties may receive upfront technical assistance but must have their certificate of occupancy before submitting a reservation request)
    • Have separately metered units
    • Be a utility or community choice aggregator (CCA) customer (with VNEM) in the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), PacifiCorp or Liberty Utilities territories.