Boulder, Colo., based Main Street Power Company, a private solar development and finance firm, is bringing solar energy to multi-unit, low-income qualified residences in California. Solar for All California is a free energy pilot program subsidized through Solar Access California (SACA), a joint venture of Main Street Power Company and Morgan Stanley.

“We are excited to partner with Main Street Power and Morgan Stanley on this exciting pilot program to provide free solar energy. This solar energy project is a wonderful example of innovative public-private partnerships that deliver real benefits to low income citizens,” said Arleen Novotney, Executive Director of the Association of California Community and Energy Services (ACCES), the statewide non-profit directing the project.

Solar for All California is currently in finalization mode. Under a No-Cost Power Purchase Structure, SACA will own and operate the systems, while giving the clean solar energy to low-income, multi-unit residences at no cost for 10 years. Main Street Power Company will work with the Morgan Stanley subsidiary, MS Solar Solutions Corp., on the public-private partnership that also includes Central Coast Energy Services of California and the Association of California Community Energy Services.

“Our social mission is that solar power should be available to all people, regardless of income. It’s usually only the affluent who are able to benefit from solar power,” said Jonathan Postal, president of Main Street Power. “This program levels the playing field to allow low-income rental units to benefit from solar energy as well.”

In addition to free solar power, other benefits of Solar for All California include job development and creation and no-cost building upgrades for owners.

As part of the installation, SACA offers free solar training programs for non-profit workers, so residents and community members can contribute to, and learn from, the solar installations.

“This program is an example of how the private sector working together with government and non-profit agencies can use private capital to leverage multiple funding programs to deliver maximum benefits to California’s most needy citizens,” said Ric Tan, Main Street Power’s vice president.

Pictured: SACA trains non-profit installers on a solar installation in California.Photo courtesy of Main Street Power.