Launched February 2014, the Rancho Cucamonga Solar Program was created and administered by local solar installation firm Sullivan Solar Power as part of their mission to help the city achieve its renewable energy goals. The Rancho Cucamonga Solar Program offered residents in Rancho Cucamonga, Alta Loma, Cucamonga, and Etiwanda cash incentives to go solar - up to $2,500 cash-back.
Sullivan Solar Power held free workshops at the Goldy S. Lewis Community Center to educate residents on solar technology, the different financing options available, and how to receive the cash-back incentive. “Our mission is to put solar on every home, business, and institution in our realm of influence,” said Daniel Sullivan, founder and president of Sullivan Solar Power, “We want to change the way our communities generate electricity.” Modeled after the California Solar Initiative (CSI) rebate program, the Rancho Cucamonga Solar Program offered early adopters the highest cash incentive and the incentive levels dropped as more homeowners signed up to go solar. The incentives offered through the program were as follows:
With the CSI rebate fully exhausted and the federal tax credit set to expire by 2016, many Rancho Cucamonga residents took advantage of this opportunity to get paid for going solar. "I chose to go solar to save money over a period of time and Sullivan Solar Power's presentation showed me how much we could save over 25 years as utility rates continue to rise," said a program participant and Rancho Cucamonga resident, "Solar is a renewable resource and my wife and I want to try to limit our energy consumption as much as possible." As a result of the initiative, 19 residents declared energy independence and 121,448 watts of solar power were installed throughout the city of Rancho Cucamonga.
The Rancho Cucamonga Solar Program made headlines in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Read about it here.