FACT SHEET: OAKLAND SOLAR ACHIEVEMENTS &  PROJECTS

Oakland Solar  Achievements

Installed Large Solar Energy Systems - The City has  installed 1 Megawatt of solar electric panels on the rooftops of our Municipal  Service Center and the downtown ice rink. These panels provide approximately  2.3% of our municipal electric load. The Port of Oakland and businesses such as  FedEx have also installed large solar energy systems in  Oakland.

City Solar Award – Oakland was awarded a 2007 City Solar  Award by NorCal Solar for having the most solar power-generating capacity  installed among large cities in 10 counties around the Bay Area.  

Oakland Green Jobs Corps - The City of Oakland provided seed  funding to help launch the Oakland Green Jobs Corps which is currently training  community residents to augment the local solar installation workforce. The City  provided $250,000 in 2008 to partners Laney College, Cypress Mandela Training  Center and Growth Sector Inc. Together, this landmark partnership will provide  world-class job training, environmental education, and connections to green jobs  to at least 40 low-income Oakland residents. Students will learn green  construction skills, solar installation, energy efficiency techniques, and more  during its inaugural session. The Green Jobs Corps will help to identify  entry-level employment opportunities for individuals with limited experience or  barriers to employment and provide them with the skills necessary to find  meaningful employment in the green economy.

Solar for Low- and  Moderate-Income Residential Properties – The City’s Redevelopment Agency  recently partnered with GRID Alternatives to install solar energy systems on a  number of low-income residential properties.

What’s  Next?:

Increased Solar on City Facilities - The City has surveyed  the solar energy generating capacity of its rooftops and intends to install  significant additional solar power capacity in the coming years. The City is  currently exploring opportunities to enter into new solar power purchase  agreements to increase the amount of solar on its  facilities.

Energy and Climate Action Plan – The City is  currently developing an Energy and Climate Action Plan (ECAP) to identify,  evaluate and prioritize opportunities to reduce energy consumption and GHG  emissions in its own government operations and throughout the Oakland community.  The Energy and Climate Acton Plan will clarify policy direction and recommend  priority actions for reducing energy use and GHG emissions to the Oakland City  Council. This Plan may end up recommending additional expansion of solar energy  use in Oakland.

Green Building Ordinance – The City of Oakland is  considering adopting a mandatory green building ordinance for private  development, through which installation of solar energy technologies could be  rewarded.

Sustainable Energy Financing District – The City of  Oakland is currently exploring the potential of creating a sustainable energy  financing district allowing property owners to purchase solar panels and repay  the cost via their property taxes.

Bay Area Climate Compact – The  City of Oakland has committed to a number of goals as articulated in the Bay  Area Climate Compact, including “From a 2008 baseline, increasing by 30% the use  of renewable sources for electrical energy by the end of 2013 and by 50% by the  end of 2018”

Solar Opportunity Assessment Tool – The City of  Oakland is currently developing a web-based tool to assist Oakland residents in  evaluating the energy generation potential of installing solar energy systems on  their own properties.