VNEM, a billing system that allows multi-family properties to share the clean energy and cost-saving benefits of solar with multiple units within the property, has been hailed as a crucial tool for California’s rooftop solar adoption. The system incentivises builders to adopt rooftop solar and share the financial and environmental benefits back to renters. It simplifies the process for multi-tenant buildings, allowing building owners to install a single solar system onsite to cover electricity load of both common areas and residential units. VNEM removes redundant equipment like solar monitoring hardware, wiring runs, breakers, and disconnect switches for every point of interconnection, making solar on multi-housing properties more affordable. It also incentivises developers to use the savings to pay back the system, recovering the upfront costs for investing in solar, and allows landlords to share solar back to tenants. This strategy helps reach marginalised communities who have historically been excluded from accessing solar. The programme has been successful in helping 17 million renters access to solar power in California, leading to a decade-old programme that has been tested and proven beneficial.
Solar Dominates US Energy Capacity Growth
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has published data showing that solar accounted for over 75% of US electrical generating
