Green Urbanism
Solar Affordable Housing Assessment Calculator
Welcome! The calculator below assists affordable housing developers and their design and finance teams assess various options for incorporating solar photovoltaic systems into their California-based Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) developments. The assessment marries design and finance considerations by asking questions that should be answerable during schematic design. The calculator produces a variety of financial scenarios that developers can incorporate into their preliminary pro-formas and tax credit applications, as well as photovoltaic sizing options that design teams can use to issue RFPs for solar design/build services.
Because the calculator is designed to be used in early stages of design, precise answers to each question is not necessary. However, you must answer each question for the calculator to function properly. Simply answer all questions to be best of your ability.
Some caveats about the results provided by this calculator:
- The results are based on typical newly constructed affordable housing projects in the State of California, so actual size of a photovoltaic system or the impact of photovoltaics on a project’s pro-forma will inevitably vary from the results provided. All conclusions must ultimately be confirmed with your financial consultant, design team, local utility, fire marshal, and solar integrator.
- Highly energy efficient projects (35% better than the Title-24 Energy Code) will need smaller solar photovoltaic systems that suggested by the calculator.
- The calculator is designed for new construction projects only. The photovoltaic design size and LIHTC and Federal Solar Tax Credit implications may be applicable to acquisition/rehab tax credit projects. Other items, such as electricity consumption and solar rebates, are applicable only for new construction.
- Solar thermal technologies for heating water are not incorporated into this calculator but should be considered by project teams.
- The lawyers require us to say the following: All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. Global Green USA makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information produced by this calculator and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its use. All information and calculations are provided on an as-is basis.
Global Green hopes the calculator is helpful and thanks the California Energy Commission for financial support in developing and maintaining it. Questions and comments about the calculator should be directed via email to Ted Bardacke. We are very interested in your feedback.