Solar Grant Application

Application materials

Download document Grant Application Form

Application support

Representatives from PSE and the Lummi Nation School cut the ribbon on the school’s new solar array, which was funded through a Green Power Solar Grant.

Who should apply?

Eligible applicants are:

Community-based organizations, government agencies and Tribal entities serving community members with demonstrated economic, geographic, health, housing, accessibility or other identified needs.
Applicants who can showcase how savings they receive from the solar array will be used to directly benefit communities they serve
PSE electric customers

Priority will be given to:

Applicants who have not previously received solar grant funding from PSE.
Projects that include a workforce development opportunities for local community members.
Projects that will be complete by end of 2027.

Additional requirements of grantees/projects:

Proposed projects must receive sufficient sunlight, as determined by a solar installer. The total solar resource fraction (TSRF) must be at least a 75% average of all points in the proposed solar array.
Property that solar arrays are installed on may be owned or leased. If the property is leased, the applicant must demonstrate project support from the property owner and affirm that they will be in that space for at least five years.
Projects must be less than or equal to 100 kW AC in size and will apply for interconnection and Net Metering.
Grantees must maintain insurance coverage of the solar system for a minimum of five years, and PSE recommends maintaining insurance for the life of the system.
Grantees must retain Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) for the life of the project or sell them to PSE. RECs are a market-based instrument that represent the non-power, “green” attributes of renewable electricity generation. Grantees comply simply by not selling these attributes to any entity other than PSE.
Solar is a long term investment. The roof or structure this array is being placed on should be in good condition and should not need to be replaced for at least 20 years.

Important dates

Throughout 2026
June 3: Grant application released
June 17, 12-1 p.m.: Applicant Webinar, with Q&A
Before July 29: Contact Spark Northwest for free bid procurement and grant writing assistance (optional and space is limited)
August 11: Final day to submit questions to solarfunding@pse.com
August 12: Applications due by 5 p.m. (PST)
August – October: Applicants participate in grant interview
October – November: Review panel assesses projects and makes final funding decisions
November - December: Notification of award
Throughout 2027: Projects completed
One year after project completion: Grantee will report on how the savings they received from the solar array were used to directly benefit their communities
How much funding is available?

PSE has up to $1,000,000 to disburse in the 2026 round. Applicants may request up to $100,000 per project.

Please see the Information for Applicants for a detailed list of eligible costs.
How will applications be evaluated?
Once your application is submitted, a partner of PSE will reach out to schedule an interview. The purpose of these interviews is to provide PSE an opportunity to ask any follow up questions and for the applicant to provide more detail to any parts of their application. The interview will be approximately 60 minutes in duration.

Then, all applications are discussed at length by a panel of internal PSE staff and member’s of PSE’s Equity Advisory Group (EAG). EAG members are external advisors to PSE and are advocates for community members.

During the review, the panel will consider project feasibility and readiness as pass/fail. As long as a project is likely to be completed as planned, the review panel will select projects based on:

Community impact (45%): How and to what magnitude will the project positively impact community members with demonstrated need?

Equitable and inclusive access (30%): Does the applicant demonstrate a commitment to ensuring equitable and inclusive access to its services?

Education and outreach (25%): Will this project utilize unique marketing, education and/or outreach tactics to raise awareness of the project and benefits of solar within the applicant’s community?

Workforce development (Extra credit): Does the project provide any workforce development opportunities to local community members?
I qualify and want to apply. What next?
Attend the Applicant Webinar on June 17 or view the recording.

Gain support within your organization and with any community members who may be impacted by construction of the solar project.

Contact Spark Northwest via this Intake Form or at grant.support@sparknorthwest.org to discuss eligibility for free grant writing assistance. Please note: In addition to grant writing, Spark Northwest can help you through the process of securing and understanding your solar bid(s).

Contact solar installer(s) to help you conceptualize a project. While only one bid is required, PSE strongly encourages applicants to obtain multiple bids on the project to ensure your needs are met and pricing is competitive. Please see the “Solar Contractor List” for contact information of solar installers in your area. Spark and PSE have also partnered on this Understanding your solar bid document, for your reference.

Select your preferred installer.

Submit any questions to solarfunding@pse.com on or before August 11.Responses will be sent directly to the applicant and posted bi weekly on pse.com/applysolargrant in an FAQ format.

Complete and submit your application to solarfunding@pse.com, on or before August 12 at 5 p.m.(PST).