East LA Homes Get Free Solar Panels, Energy-Saving Upgrades

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A new community development program is making sure the Southland's wealthiest households aren't the only ones going green.

KNX 1070's Brian Ping reports the Green Grants Program has retrofitted nearly 90 homes in East Los Angeles with solar panels, attic insulation and a tankless water heater.

Funds from the Community Development Block Grant program have made the panels available for free to single-family households that earn less than $67,000 a year in the county's 1st District.

The solar panels eliminate an estimated 1,200 tons of greenhouse gas emissions over their 30-year lifespan, according to the grant's operator, Enterprise Community Partners.

Homes must meet specific structural requirements for the energy-saving add-ons, which also include under-floor insulation and earthquake safety gas shut-off valves.