Community Solar for Community Action
A Winner of the US Department of Energy's Solar in Your Community Challenge
Empowering Low-Income Families and Communities
Rather than simply paying low-income families’ energy bills year after year, CS4CA forges a new model of energy assistance through the use of community-owned photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays as Solar Assistance. These centrally located systems provide renewable electricity to participating low-income community subscribers.
With RREAL’s shared solar model, Community Solar for Community Action, monetary savings from community owned solar arrays are integrated into the local energy assistance program. The end goal of CS4CA is to make our economy and nation stronger by investing in solar energy developments that control electricity costs, combat climate change, and improve the health and well-being of America’s most vulnerable.
CS4CA Project Map
A Nationally Scalable Model of Solar Energy Assistance
Blue Completed Projects
Green Developing Projects
Purple Future Projects
CS4CA Projects
Stay up-to-date with our past and present CS4CA partnerships and projects!
RREAL installed the first low-income community solar array integrated into energy assistance on the Leech Lake Ojibwe Reservation in Minnesota in 2016.
We are spreading this model nationwide through the Department of Energy's Solar in Your Community Challenge.
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe CS4CA – A scattered 217.6 kW DC community solar array for the Leech Lake Energy Assistance Program commissioned in 2017.
Pay for Success
Pay for Success (PFS) is a funding model where public funds are used to repay investors when innovative programs produce results.RREAL will use Pay for Success to scale CS4CA, which provides low-cost, locally produced, community-owned solar energy assets for the benefit of low-income populations using Energy Assistance Programs.
CS4CA Pay for Success (aka Pay for Performance and Social Impact Bonding) increases the people served by energy assistance while reducing pollution, resulting in better stewardship of public funds. CS4CA improves a major tax-supported relief program (LIHEAP) and is a sustainable solution that is reliable, outcome-based, and nationally scalable.
RREAL invites Service Provider Partners across the United States to join us in delivering this innovative model in your community. Contact us at info@rreal.org for more information.
More about CS4CA & PFS
Additional Information
2019 Community Action Partnership Webinar, Solar Initiatives in Rural Communities
2018 SEVCA CS4CA Project Description
2018 August DEFG LICS Community Action Model Webinar
2018 Congress Passes Social Impact Partnerships Pay for Results (SIPPRA Law)
2017 Summer Low-Income Solar Policy Guide – Inspiring Innovation
Third Sector Capital Partners (RREAL’s PFS Intermediary Partner)
Press
2019 Spring Energy News Community Solar Highlight
2019 Energy News Network CS4CA Highlight
2018 Brainerd Dispatch White Earth CS4CA
2018 EcoWatch, Natural Resources Defense Council
2018 April Brainerd Dispatch Environmental Initiative Awards
2018 April Lakeland Public Television Environmental Initiative Awards
2018 Feburary Business North Article
2017 Winter Initiative Quarterly, p. 10
2017 Fall AICHO Solar Array Funding
2017 August Star Tribune Article
2017 Summer Solar Savings for Greater Minnesota
2017 Summer Clean Energy Resource Teams Highlight of Leech Lake Solar Project
2017 Summer Lakeland Public Television Leech Lake Project Highlight Video
Awards
Videos about CS4CA and RREAL
Thank you to our generous CS4CA supporters
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative‐Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).