California Solar Initiative (CSI)

This program is now closed. Please see below for information about historic CSI programs that provided incentives to Californians for solar installations.

The California Solar Initiative (CSI) General Market Program closed on 31 December 2016. While California continues its commitment to supporting clean, renewable energy such as solar, market transformation marked by significant drops in equipment prices indicate that direct incentives were no longer necessary.

Solar customers are, however, eligible for the Net Billing Tariff (NBT or NEM3), which provides financial credit for customer-generated power fed back to the electric grid. NBT (NEM3) is an important element of the policy framework supporting direct customer investment in grid-tied distributed renewable energy generation, including customer-sited solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

  • The Single-family Solar Affordable Solar Housing (SASH) Program, provided solar incentives to single-family low-income housing; the SASH program was administered through the SASH Program Manager, GRID Alternatives, and had a budget of $54 million.
  • The Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) Program, provided solar incentives to multifamily low-income housing; the MASH program was administered through the same Program Administrators as the general market program: Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and the Center for Sustainable Energy CSE (on behalf of San Diego Gas & Electric), and it had a budget of $54 million.
  • The CSI-Thermal Program, provided incentives for solar water heating and other solar thermal technologies to residential and commercial customers of PG&E, SCE, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).
  • The CSI-Thermal Low-Income Program provided higher incentives for solar thermal technologies to multifamily and single-family residential customer in PG&E, SoCalGas, and SDG&E service territories.

The CSI Program was a subset of the wider solar effort in California that commenced in 2006. In addition to the CPUC’s CSI Program, Senate Bill 1 (2006) envisioned that the State of California would also have other programs to support onsite solar projects, including the California Energy Commission’s New Solar Homes Partnership (NSHP), and a variety of solar programs offered through publicly owned utilities (POU). The statewide effort that includes the CSI – as well as the NSHP and the POU programs – was known collectively as Go Solar California. The statewide goal of the Go Solar California campaign was 3,000 MW and had a statewide budget of $3.3 billion.

NOTE: This program is closed.

The Single-family Affordable Solar Homes (SASH) Program issued the final SASH Semi-Annual Progress Report covering the last two quarters of 2022.

Highlights and milestones of the program include:

  • Nearly 10,000 PV systems were installed and interconnected: 5,261 SASH 1.0 and 4,552 SASH 2.0.
  • These projects encumbered approximately $137.9 million in incentives and represent over 30 MW of solar capacity.
  • The SASH program referred over 10,922 low-income homeowners to the utilities' Energy Savings Assistance programs.

About the SASH Program

A component of the California Solar Initiative (CSI), the SASH Program provided solar incentives on qualifying affordable single-family housing. The goals of the SASH program were to:

  • Decrease electricity usage by solar installation and reduce energy bills without increasing monthly expenses
  • Provide full and partial incentives for solar systems for low-income participants
  • Offer the power of solar and energy efficiency to homeowners
  • Decrease the expense of solar ownership with a higher incentive than the General CSI Program
  • Develop energy solutions that are environmentally and economically sustainable
  • Provide job training and employment opportunities in the solar energy and energy efficiency sectors of the economy.

The SASH program provided qualified low-income homeowners fixed, up front, capacity-based incentives to help offset the upfront cost of a solar electric system.

Eligible applicants had to:

  • Receive electrical service from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), or San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E),
  • Own and live in their home,
  • Have a household income that is 80% or below the area median income (AMI),
  • Live in a home defined as “affordable housing” by California Public Utilities Code 2852.

The SASH program offered one incentive level of $3 per watt.

SASH Regulatory History

The Commission authorized the SASH Program in Decision (D.) 07-11-045.

Assembly Bill 217 (Bradford, 2013) extended the SASH and MASH programs of the California Solar Initiative with $108 million in new funding, and set several new goals for the programs.

The Energy Division authored a July 2014 staff proposal regarding the implementation of AB 217 at the Commission. For this and all other documents released in the Commission’s R.12-11-005 rulemaking, please visit the R.12-11-005 Docket Card page. On 29 January 2015, the CPUC issued (D.) 15-01-027 to revise SASH’s enrollment eligibility requirements, capacity target, job training requirements, incentive levels, and allow third-party project ownership.

On 29 April 2015, the CPUC approved the SASH Handbook, outlining information and guidelines for the reauthorized SASH program.

SASH Program Evaluations

There were three program evaluation cycles in the SASH program. The links below include final reports for the Program Administrator assessments, Market Assessments, and Impact and Cost Benefit Analyses for the program years evaluated.

All Program Years (close of program)

Program Years 2011-2013

Program Years 2009-2010

NOTE: The MASH program is closed to new applications.

The California Solar Initiative's Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) Program issued regular semi-annual reports, which provided detailed information on the program's progress.

Program milestones included (as of December 2021):

  • 53.5 MW of interconnected solar capacity.
  • 9.6 MW were expected from active reservations.
  • 604 projects statewide serving multifamily affordable housing.
  • Tens of thousands of tenant units participating in Virtual Net Metering as a result of the MASH program.

VNEM and the MASH Program

The MASH Program, established by AB 217, ran from 2008 to 2021 and had the first virtual net energy metering (VNM or VNEM) tariff in California. Though the MASH program is closed, the MASH VNM successor tariffs in PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E territory remain open for new enrollments for qualified properties and generation projects. Multifamily properties that satisfy the MASH eligibility criteria and meet all other utility interconnection requirements may utilize the MASH tariff. Learn more about VNM/VNEM on this page.

About the MASH Program

  • Established in 2008, the MASH Program provided solar incentives on qualifying affordable housing multifamily dwellings. MASH was the low-income, multifamily component within the California Solar Initiative program. In 2013, AB 217 (Bradford) extended the CSI low-income programs by $108 million and five years. The overall goals of the MASH program were to:

  • Stimulate the adoption of solar power in the affordable housing sector;
  • Improve energy utilization and overall quality of affordable housing through the application of solar and energy efficiency technologies;
  • Decrease electricity use and costs without increasing monthly household expenses for affordable housing building occupants; and
  • Increase awareness and appreciation of the benefits of solar among affordable housing occupants and developers.

In 2013, AB 217 set additional goals for the program:

  • Maximize the overall benefit to ratepayers;
  • Require participants who receive monetary incentives to enroll in the Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) program.
  • Provide job training and employment opportunities in the solar energy and energy efficiency sectors of the economy.

The MASH program provided fixed, up front, capacity-based incentives for qualifying solar energy systems. The amount of the incentive depended on which Track (1C or 1D) the applicant was eligible for.

MASH Incentive Rates ($/Watt)

Track 1C - PV System Offsetting one of the following ($1.10):

  • Common Area Load
  • Non-VNM Tenant Load
  • or VNM Tenant Load with <50% Tenant Benefit

Track 1D - PV System Offsetting ($1.80):

  • VNM Tenant Load with ≥50% Tenant Benefit

For information on the launch of the CSI MASH Program, please read the CPUC regulatory decision that authorized the program and the January 2015 decision that reauthorized the program.

MASH Program Administrators

  • The MASH program was managed by the Program Administrators of the General Market CSI Program: Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Southern California Edison, and The Center for Sustainable Energy in San Diego Gas & Electric territory.

MASH Program Reports and Data

Third-party Evaluation

DNV Energy completed its evaluation of the MASH Program. A webinar was scheduled for April 2023 for DNV to share its findings.

In 2022, DNV Energy began an evaluation of the MASH Program (from 2008-2021) to assess its administration, summarize program activity, and determine program benefits (electrical, environmental, and workforce). That evaluation is available here: MASH Program Evaluation Final Research Plan.

On 21 June 2022, DNV Energy and Energy Division hosted a webinar to review and gather feedback on the MASH Evaluation Draft Research Plan. The meeting materials are:

In January 2016, Navigant Consulting completed its evaluation of CSI SASH and MASH program design, delivery, operations, and impact for program years 2011-2013 and released two reports: a program administrator and market assessment, and an impact and cost-benefit analysis. These program evaluations built upon the previous SASH and MASH studies completed in 2011, which are also available through the links below.

On 28 January 2016, Navigant Consulting issued the California Solar Initiative SASH and MASH Market and Program Administrator Assessment, Programs Years 2011-2013.

On 4 August 2011, Navigant Consulting issued the CSI SASH and MASH Impact and Cost Benefit Report.

On 10 June 2011, Navigant Consulting issued the CSI MASH Biennial Report.

On 5 April 2011, Navigant Consulting issued the CSI SASH and MASH Program Administrator Performance Assessment Report, which provides an evaluation of the MASH Program.

On 1 April 2011, Navigant Consulting issued the CSI SASH and MASH Market Assessment Report, which provides an evaluation of the MASH program.

Semi-annual Reports

The MASH Semi-annual Progress Reports submitted by the Program Administrators, which include information on budget allocation, program expenses, and progress on track incentives, both as a total and by utility, are listed under CSI Progress Reports below.

Low-Income Solar Data Set

In November 2014, the CPUC voted to update reporting requirements for MASH projects. D.14-11-001 transferred data collection responsibilities from the CSI to the Net Energy Metering (NEM) Interconnection Process. To view public data reports, please visit the California Distributed Generation Statistics website.

 

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) hired Navigant Consulting, Inc., (Navigant) to perform in-depth examinations of the design, delivery, operations, and impact of the two California Solar Initiative (CSI) low-income programs.

The CPUC established the low-income solar programs with D.07-11-045, the Single Family Affordable Solar Homes Program, the "SASH" decision, and D.08-10-036, the Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing program, the "MASH" decision in response to Assembly Bill 2723.

In D.06-08-058, the CPUC instituted periodic evaluations, biennial reviews for the SASH and MASH programs through the duration of the CSI Program.

In early 2011, Navigant issued two reports, the CSI SASH and MASH Program Administrator Performance Assessment Report and theCSI SASH and MASH Market Assessment Report.

Navigant issued the CSI SASH Biennial Report and CSI MASH Biennial Report in June and the CSI SASH & MASH Impact and Cost Benefit Report in August 2011.

The Program Administrator Performance Assessment Report provides a review of the implementation, structure, and operations of the programs and recommends modifications to both programs based on the research findings. The report includes a review of some of the following areas for the SASH and MASH programs:

  • Program Challenges and Successes
  • Project Funding
  • Incentive Structure

The Market Assessment Report identifies opportunities to improve the SASH and MASH programs and includes a review of the following areas:

  • Market Channels
  • Market Drivers
  • Program Spillover
  • Sustainability

The SASH and MASH biennial reports highlight key accomplishments and findings from the programs during 2009-2010.

The SASH and MASH Program Impacts and Cost-Benefit Report summarizes findings of the impacts and cost-benefit analyses for the programs.

The full reports can be downloaded here:

 

The CSI-Thermal program provided rebates to utility customers who installed solar thermal systems to replace water-heating systems powered by electricity or natural gas.

On 21 January 2010, the CPUC approved a Decision creating the CSI-Thermal Program, which allocated $350.8 million to promote solar water heating (SWH) through a program of direct financial incentives to retail customers, training for installers and building inspectors, and a statewide marketing campaign. (Although SWH was the focus of the program, some non-water heating technologies also qualified.) Incentives were available to customers who heated their water with electricity or natural gas in the service territories of Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Gas Company.

Single family SWH systems that displaced natural gas initially qualified for incentives of up to $4,366, while electricity-displacing systems qualified for incentives of up to $1,834. Actual incentive amounts were based on the expected performance of the system as predicted by the SRCC rating and positioning. Incentive levels declined in four steps as the program met certain installation benchmarks.

CSI-Thermal Program Administrators

Customers applied for incentives through their local program administrator, which in most cases was their utility that supplied the natural gas or electricity used to heat the customer's water. The one exception was that the California Center for Sustainable Energy served as program administrator for customers of San Diego Gas & Electric.

Relying on clean, renewable power generation is a high priority for the CPUC and the State of California. For more information on the CPUC's clean energy efforts, see our Renewables page.

 

General Market Program Quarterly Reports

The CSI Data Annex was later updated weekly and published online. CSI data are now available on the California Distributed Generation Statistics website.

2014: Annual Data Annex Progress Report and data files for Administrative Performance, Trainings, Dropouts, and NEM Capacity

2013: Annual Data Annex Progress Report and data files for Administrative Performance, Trainings, Dropouts, and NEM Capacity

2012: Annual Data Annex Progress Report and data files for Administrative Performance, Dropouts, and NEM Capacity

2011: Annual Data Annex Progress Report and data file; Q1 Data Annex; Q2 Data Annex

2010: Q1 Data Annex; Q2 Data Annex; Q3 Data Annex; Q4 Data Annex

2009: Q1 Staff Progress Report with Data Annex; Q2 Data Annex; Q3 Data Annex; Q4 Data Annex

2008: Q1 Staff Progress Report; Q2 Staff Progress Report; Q3 Staff Progress Report and Data Annex; Q4 Staff Progress Report and Data Annex

2007: September Staff Progress Report

Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) Semi-annual Reports

2022: January, July

2021: January, July

2020: January, July

2019: January, July

2018: January, July

2017: January, July

2016: January, July

2015: January, July

2014: January, June

2013: January, July

2012: February, July

2011: February, July

2010: January, July

Single-family Affordable Solar Homes (SASH) Semi-annual Reports

2022: January

2021: January, July

2020: January, July

2019: January, July

2018: January, July

2017: January, July

2016: January, July

2015: January, July

2014: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4

2013: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4

2012: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4

2011: Q1, Q2

2010: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4

2009: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4

*D.15-01-027 adjusted the SASH reporting requirements from quarterly to semi-annual

CSI-Thermal Program Reports

CSI-Thermal Program Quarterly Reports

2016: Q1, Q2, Q3

2015: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4

2014: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4

2013: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4

2012: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4

2011: Q1 (with 2010 Q4), Q2, Q3, Q4

2010: Q3

 

Rules and procedures for distributed generation, including the California Solar Initiative and the Self-Generation Incentive Program, were developed in the following CPUC proceedings. Documents and service lists are available on each proceeding's docket card.

Documents from earlier proceedings that are not online, such as R.98-12-015 and R.99-10-025, are available through the CPUC's public access to CPUC documents.

The CPUC submitted an assessment of the CSI program to the Legislature each year from 2009 through 2023, as required by Public Utilities Code Section 913.7. SB 599 (Hueso, 2022) repealed this requirement as of 1 January 2024, so the 2023 assessment was the final report.

Annual Program Assessments: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009

Summaries of the 2009 to 2016 assessments: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009

Press releases: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2009