Investor-Owned Utility Programs for Low Income and Affordable Housing

The California Multifamily New Homes (CMFNH) program is sponsored by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). CMFNH facilitates and encourages energy-efficient design in multifamily housing through design assistance, cash incentives, and Energy Star® marketing benefits.

The Energy Efficiency Rebates for Multifamily Properties program offers rebates to multifamily property owners and managers of existing residential dwellings that contain two or more units. The program encourages the installation of qualifying energy-efficient products in individual tenant units and in the common areas of residential apartment buildings, mobile home parks, and condominium complexes.

The Multifamily Affordable Solar Home (MASH) program is administered by PG&E within their service territory.

While oriented toward large commercial and industrial clients, residential customers are not barred from participating in the Self-Generation Incentive Program administered by PG&E within its service territory.

The California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) is the California Solar Initiative Program Administrator for the Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) program in the SDG&E service territory.

While the minimum kilowatt (kW) system sizes effectively limit most applications to non-residential energy consumers, larger multifamily projects may find the CCSE-administered Self-Generation Incentive Program an option.

The California New Homes Program (CANHP) annually awards a limited number of financial incentives to homebuilders who construct homes, including multifamily projects, that exceed California's energy efficiency standards for new residential construction.

The Multifamily Affordable Solar Home (MASH) program is administered by SCE within its service territory.

The Residential Multifamily Energy Efficiency Rebate Program offers rebates to property owners and managers for a broad list of energy efficiency improvements in lighting, HVAC, insulation and window categories. These improvements are to be used to retrofit existing multifamily properties of two or more units.

The Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) is administered by SCE within its service territory.

The Sustainable Communities Program (SCP) is an SCE-sponsored pilot program focusing on large, mixed-use, and/or multiple building construction projects willing to commit to aggressive energy efficiency and sustainable design goals. Projects accepted into the pilot receive design assistance and financial incentives.

The Advanced Home Program uses a performance-based approach to proving incentives for building homes that exceed the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24) by at least 15 percent. There are three approaches to earning these incentives:

1. California Energy Star New Homes Program, which is open to all single and multifamily new construction of three stories or less.


2. The High Rise Multifamily Program which is open to multifamily new construction four stories or more.


3. The High Performing New Homes Program which is open to all single and multifamily new construction of three stories or less.

The Multifamily Energy Efficiency Rebate Program offers cash rebates for the installation of qualified energy-efficient products in apartment dwelling units and in the common areas of apartment and condominium complexes, and common areas of mobile home parks. Owners, and property managers acting as authorized agents for property owners, of existing multifamily housing with two or more units may qualify for this program.

The Self-Generation Incentive Program is also administered by SoCal Gas within its service territory.