Most people who think of solar power are likely to imagine an expansive suburban home with a yard, lawn, and rows of neat solar panels, gleaming on its roof. Very few are likely to envision a block of tenement apartments in the inner-city.

But solar is expanding in popularity and as it does, it’s reaching new demographics. And one of the areas where solar could be set to have the biggest potential impact is in greener affordable housing.

Here is a quick look at how alternative energies like solar power help make affordable housing greener, cheaper and better for everyone involved.

The Future of Affordable Housing?

A recent report examined data for buildings in cities like New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C. to determine the viability of installing solar panels along with storage systems in multifamily affordable housing units. The report’s findings indicated that with the falling costs of solar, it is now more viable than ever before to install solar panels in such units.

“This analysis shows us something we didn’t expect — these new resilient power technologies can make economic sense for building owners to install now, not years from now,” wrote one of the report’s authors, Lewis Milford, President of the Clean Energy Group.

According to Milford and his colleagues, solar has the potential to reduce operating costs for affordable housing developments, and even generate revenue in markets where it’s possible to sell energy back to the grid.

Incentives and Tax Breaks

Solar power has enjoyed numerous incentives over the years, and the civic governments, landlords and non-profits that supply affordable housing have benefitted. Tax breaks fueled much of the solar power boom, but net metering—the buying back of surplus energy by utility companies—has been important, too.

Sadly, utility companies are working to end net metering. It’s a shortsighted venture that many regard as nothing less than an attack on sustainable energy that’s purely motivated by greed. Ending solar power subsidies like net metering, has the potential to affect solar users, rich and poor.

The poor already outspend—percentage-wise—the middle class and wealthy in both housing and utilities. Net metering not only levels this playing field, but it also incentivizes investors in affordable housing looking to offset costs or make a profit.  

Recently, the affordable housing lobby joined the fight to save net energy metering. In California, a group of 14 affordable housing organizations sent a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), urging them to continue net energy metering in its current form.

“Bringing solar power to our neediest communities has been helped by incentives from the Multi-family Affordable Solar Housing rebate program combined with the availability of virtual net energy metering,” wrote Randall Simmrin, Chairman of the MASH Coalition the 14 affordable housing organizations comprise.

“Without net metering, and specifically virtual net metering, California’s affordable housing community would not be able to afford to bring the benefits of solar to our low income tenants.”

Better Respiratory Health and Lowered Health Care Costs

Affordable housing isn’t often equated with health, but if more of it goes green, that may change. According to new research, children in green affordable housing get sick less and miss less school than their counterparts in standard public housing.

Respiratory health showed particular improvement. Of the 44 children in the study who had been diagnosed with asthma, those in green housing fared much better, needing fewer hospital visits than their peers. Interestingly then, investing in green energy like solar power won’t just save tenants money on utility bills. It also has the potential to offer considerable health care savings as well—not just to tenants but to taxpayers, too.

Greener affordable housing kills two birds with one stone by assisting the economically challenged with housing in a way that also protects the planet. By using renewable, zero-emission energy like solar power, it also paves the way for the poor and strapped middle class to gain a little breathing room by lowering energy costs.

If you’d like to find out how installing solar panels on your roof can help you drive your electric bill down to zero, contact us today for a free quote.