1) The document discusses a solar assistance program that aims to make solar power accessible to low-income families to help address fuel poverty and rising energy costs. 2) It outlines four programs focused on solar assistance, contracting, youth training, and research and describes typical solar system performance reductions in fuel usage. 3) Eligibility requires being an energy assistance recipient with a good solar site and weatherized home, while emphasizing efficiency improvements before renewable options to maximize energy savings.

1. Solar Assistance:
Solar Heat for
Low-income
Families

2. “Dedicated to making Solar Power
accessible to people of all income
levels.”

3. Programs
1) Solar Assistance
2) Solar Contracting
3) Youth Training
4) Research, development and
manufacturing

4. Solar
Assistance

5. Fuel Poverty
A lack of financial
resources that
requires families or
individuals to choose
between heat and
other basic
necessities.

6. Who’s Most Gravely Affected by
Energy Spikes and Crises?

7. Energy Assistance in
Minnesota:
• $60-80million each year!
• 250,000 families apply
•125,000 Families Served
• Average allotment: $400-500
Does Energy Assistance
offer a long-term
solution?

8. Heating Costs and the
Future of LIHEAP

10. Fuel Heating Costs
Poverty
# of Families
in Need of
LIHEAP
CRISIS!

11. Part of the
SOLUTION!

12. Types of Solar Heat
Passive Active
Solar Water
Air Thermosiphon
Force
Hot Water
d Air
Thermosiphon
Closed Loop
Air Heater
Antifreeze
Drainback
Passive Home
Design

13. Nothing New...
19??

14. Qu  EL
Qu ,
8760
 Q  Qusable  
Energysavings 
Qu  EL
usable hour
EL ,
hour 1
EL  1 overheat
, HDD 0
E 
*
HDD 0
L
0,
I T  I b R b  diffuse sky + diffuse ground
 Ti  Ta  
  max 0, FR  FRUL   
 
Qu , Qu  EL*
  IT  

Qusable   *
EL , Qu  EL*

EB  b0  b1*  max0, b2  Ta 
EL  EL  1 overheat

*

16. Why Solar Air Heat?

17. Typical Solar
Assistance
System Performance
• 3 Collectors (72-96 Square Feet)
• 9 Million Btus per heating season
• $4700 installed cost

18. MN Power
Electric Utility Study
Site 1 Site 2 Site 3
Pre Solar Heat
671 993 738
Avg. Use in
Therms
(Normalized
for Weather)
Post Solar
590 782 622
Heat Use in
Therms
Annual
81 211 116
Therms
Reduction

19. Solar Assistance
Program Eligibility
• Energy Assistance Recipient
• Good Solar Site
• Weatherized Home
• Home Ownership
• Sweat Equity (Conditional)

20. “Efficiency Before Renewables!”
Quantity
of Energy
Integrated ?
Conventional Efficient efficiency &
renewable Conventional energy use
Renewable energy use

21. Costs and Benefits of
Solar Assistance
Fuel Source Payback Simple Return on
displaced Years Payback investment**
Years
Propane 13 10 9.2%
Fuel oil 16 13 7.9%
Natural Gas 20 15 6.6%
Electricity 26 15 6.0%
LIHEAP 17 14 7.1%
Weighted
Average

22. Average Annual Pollutant Reduction (Pounds)
Pollutant Electricity Fuel Oil Wood LPG
Natural LIHEAP
Gas weighted
average
CO2 822 4,495 1,118 1,649 921 1,374
NOx 1.05 13.41 0.905 NA 1.05 2.02
SO2 0.004 15.87 NA NA 0.004 12.30
PM-10 0.013 5.05 0.011 NA 0.013 0.62
VOC 0.038 6.95 1.33 NA 0.038 0.94
CO 0.168 68.57 1.73 NA 0.168 8.46
Negligible 7.489e-05
Hg Negligible 30.25

23. State and Federal Initiatives for
Renewable Heat for Low-income
Heating Assistance
MN House File
Federal Weatherization
Energy Independence and 2137 –
Assistance Program
Security act of 2007 Sec. 411 Petroleum
Rule Change
Authorizes Secretary of Inspection Fee to
encouragingmake funding
Energy to solar heat be used for
for low-income
available to local Weatherization
weatherization (Federal funding for
weatherization programs for
Register v.71 n.120. Solar Heat for
residential renewable
Low-income
6/22/06)
energy projects.
Families

24. Benefits of Solar Assistance
• Long-term Solution Fostering Self-reliance
• Ending program dependency
• Clean technology
• Compliant with RES
• Promotes National Security
• Hedge against energy insecurity
• Social Justice and Environmental Issues
Addressed with the Same Dollars!

25. Social and
Economic
Justice
Environmental
Justice