Introduced by the City of Savannah’s Office of Sustainability in September, the Georgia BRIGHT solar lease program will be offering a new incentive through the end of year.

New participants in the Georgia BRIGHT program, who sign up for a lease by Dec. 31, 2023, will be eligible to receive a $200 gift card. Additionally, applications for the program are now open to nonprofit organizations as well as residential homes 

“We have seen a strong response from residents since Georgia BRIGHT was introduced in September,” Interim Director of the Office of Sustainability Alicia Brown said. “We hope more people in our community will take advantage of this incredible new program that will help them save money on utilities using clean energy.” 

The program is designed to reach low- to moderate- income homeowners in Georgia by using solar power to bring energy bills down through a discount lease program that saves eligible homeowners money starting day one. 

On average, homeowners will save 15% per month on their utility bill. There are no upfront costs to participate in the program, and monthly payments after installation average $47. 

Savings and lease costs will vary based on how much sunlight the home receives, how much energy a household uses, and when that energy is used. Local solar installers will help residents understand whether solar is right for them and whether their home is solar-ready.

To qualify, Savannah residents must own their home, have a roof in good condition, and meet certain income requirements. No minimum credit score is required. To keep eligibility simple, the program has established a gross annual household income limit of $100,000 or less per year.

Eligibility for nonprofits is open to tax exempt organizations who own their building, have a roof in good condition or space for a ground mounted system, are in good standing with the Georgia Secretary of State and are current on their mortgage if the building has one.

To learn more about how to become a Georgia BRIGHT home, visitsavannahga.gov/brightsavannah or call (866) 584-3651. Nonprofits interested can visit capitalgoodfund.org/Georgia-bright-for-nonprofits

This program is administered by the Capital Good Fund, a certified nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).