Multi Occupant Solar

Multi-Occupant Solar

Generate your own power and share the savings with your tenants

PSE’s Multi-Occupant Solar program provides a way for property owners to install a solar system on their building and distribute financial credits directly to tenants’ utility bills. This results in lower energy costs for property owners and tenants, higher property value, and is a step toward a cleaner energy future.

Benefits of Multi-Occupant Solar:

Automated: Financial credits are automatically disbursed to selected tenants’ energy bills.
Save money: Both property owners and their tenants share the financial benefits of reduced energy bills.
Expand access: Reduce barriers and expand equitable access to solar energy.
Environmental impact: Be part of a more sustainable future for our communities.

Eligibility
Multi-Occupant Solar is for multifamily residential and small to medium commercial properties or non-profits operating in multi-occupant properties with multiple meters.

Owners:

Must be a current PSE electric service customer (electric Schedules numbered 7 through 49).

Have an AMI meter (cannot have a MV90 meter or participate in Schedule 171).

Solar PV system must have a completed Schedule 152 Interconnection Agreement and capacity cannot exceed 1,000 kW AC.

Projects cannot simultaneously participate in Multi-Occupant Solar and Net Metering (Schedule 150), Solar Energy Credit, Time of Use, or have a Power Purchase Agreement with PSE.

Occupants:

Projects must be located on the same property as your electric meter. However, if your property is on tribal land, this does not apply.

Billing for all occupants involved will be modified, if necessary, to occur on the same billing cycle.

No occupant participant may participate in the optional metering service Schedule 171.
How it works
The program is voluntary, and enrollment is simple.

Select an experienced contractor. We recommend you use PSE's Recommended Energy Professionals (REPs) list where you can find a dependable and qualified solar contractor. The contractor will help you determine if your property is ideal for solar. We recommend you get multiple bids on your project and check their references.

Interconnect with PSE. Once you’ve selected an installer, they'll help lead you through the process of interconnecting your solar installation to the PSE power grid. The interconnection process, from initial application submittal to final approval to operation, can take up to 36 months to complete, depending on project complexity.

Designate secondary beneficiaries. The owner of the solar array determines how to allocate the exported energy to building occupants. The allocation can be updated annually at no cost.

Credit allocation. The solar project’s meter separates the used (consumed) and exported (Energy to PSE) energy. Solar energy generated that is offset by energy used on the customer side of the meter is not measured by the meter and would not be counted as exported energy. The exported energy is divided per the owner’s allocation and appears as a Multi-Occupant Solar Energy Credit.

Credit calculation. Each credit is calculated as the interconnected solar project’s Energy to PSE (kWh) multiplied by the allocation (percent) multiplied by the Solar Energy Credit rate ($0.067130/kWh). For example, a property might use the house meter for shared spaces like the lobby and hallways, and any unused energy is sent back to the grid. This unused exported energy is credited on customer bills when the project signs up for the program and completes interconnection, reducing tenants’ energy costs.