The Department of Community Services and Development has announced the dedication of a model solar housing project in Orange County which combines affordable housing with state-of-the-art solar systems. The project launch was celebrated Thursday, April 16, 2009 at a new Lennar Homes subdivision on Calle Rolando in San Juan Capistrano.

"This pilot project shows why California’s green economy is leading the nation to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, create jobs in the solar sector, and help families hurt most by the recession," Governor Schwarzenegger said.

Solar photovoltaic systems were installed in four homes built by Habitat for Humanity as part of its "Habitat for Heroes" project to offer affordable housing for veterans and other low-income families. The homes are part of a new housing project developed by Lennar Homes in San Juan Capistrano.

The solar systems were funded through a partnership between the California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) and MS Solar Solutions Corp., a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley’s Commodities group, using federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding as well as resources from other local partners. CSD’s local energy provider, the Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAPOC), installed the systems. Akeena Solar of Los Gatos supplied the state-of-the-art solar photovoltaic system components and trained CAPOC’s weatherization crew as well as local conservation corps members in solar installation.

"This visionary project represents the commitment by CSD and Morgan Stanley to make the economic and health benefits of solar PV systems available to all Californians, regardless of ability to pay," Said CSD Director Lloyd Throne.

"This solar installation partnership officially launches the green economic recovery in Orange County," stated Clarence "Buddy" Ray, Executive Director at Community Action Partnership of Orange County, a local anti poverty agency. "The training that our crew is getting in solar technology will make them competitive for the emerging green industrial sector, and the reduced energy cost for the veterans and their families is priceless to help them weather this economy."

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CSD is the state-level partner with a statewide network of local community service agencies dedicated to helping low-income Californians achieve and maintain self-sufficiency, reduce utility bills and improve their home energy efficiency, and reside in housing free from the dangers of lead hazards.