Community Solar for Low-Income Households in the Competitive Market

Community solar represents a promising deployment strategy for solar in Texas that, if scaled, has the potential to create significant local economic and environmental benefits. In Galveston today, 40% of households make less than $35,000, and 57% of residents rent. Community solar can bring affordable clean energy to Galveston residents and provide a vehicle for local jobs and economic development.

The Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute (TEPRI), with the generous support of the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation and in coordination with Vision Galveston, is conducting a pre-development seeks to bring an innovative community solar concept to Galveston. Preliminary analysis has identified 31 MW of solar potential, which could supply energy to over 3,600 low-income households on the island.

TEPRI has identified several potential community solar host sites on Galveston Island based on aerial analysis, prioritizing buildings with large rooftops and/or large parking lots owned by a single entity. Additionally, we took into consideration entities that have expressed interest in sustainability or clean energy, including through the Vision Galveston Plan. We seek to begin exploratory conversations with potential site hosts to gauge interest and feasibility of hosting a local community solar installation.