ACCESSolar Program

The New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) ACcelerating Community Empowered Shared Solar (ACCESSolar) is aimed at local non-profits and community-based organizations (CBOs) who team up with solar developers to install shared solar systems on smaller public housing sites (generally <40 kW per building). The goal of ACCESSolar is to ensure that, within a shared solar framework, the benefits of solar power remain in the communities where they are built. ACCESSolar teams will provide green jobs for NYCHA residents and expand the availability of solar power to low-and moderate-income households who have historically faced significant barriers to accessing lower-cost renewable power. In addition, NYCHA hopes to facilitate first projects for small and local developers, especially minority and women-owned enterprises, by leasing its rooftops at low cost. For more information on this program, see the “NYCHA ACCESSolar” webinar.

Creating ACCESSolar Project Development Teams

Sustainable CUNY is supporting ACCESSolar by helping to match interested developers with interested CBOs and non-profits through its Gateway portal. Developers and CBOs who would like to participate in ACCESSolar and are looking to find like-minded partners can register their names and other information on Gateway. Sustainable CUNY will then contact registrants with compatible goals and provide them with the opportunity to connect. Although team applications are encouraged, NYCHA will also accept applications from individual developers or non-profits.

Please note that the first round of ACCESSolar team selections were made in September 2018 (read the press release). Any new registrations on the Gateway portal will be considered for future rounds of the program. A timetable for future rounds has yet to be determined.

If you are a developer, click here.

If you are a CBO or non-profit, click here.