Mobile Home Power Launches Solar Relief Initiative for California’s Manufactured Home Residents
As electricity prices across California have surged over the last decade, the financial strain on households has intensified — particularly for residents of manufactured homes. While energy affordability is a growing concern statewide, those living in manufactured housing communities face uniquely steep challenges, often paying a larger share of their income toward electricity than residents in traditional site-built homes.
Amid this mounting pressure, Mobile Home Power, a Southern California–based solar company, has launched a focused initiative aimed at delivering solar energy relief specifically to manufactured home residents. The company’s mission centers on expanding access to renewable energy solutions for a segment of the population that has historically been underserved by the broader solar market.
A Growing Energy Burden
Manufactured housing represents a significant portion of California’s residential landscape. More than 521,000 manufactured homes are located across the state, providing housing for an estimated 1.3 to 1.4 million Californians. Many of these households include retirees, working families, and individuals living on fixed or moderate incomes. For them, rising electricity bills are not just inconvenient — they can be financially destabilizing.
“Manufactured home residents are often on low, moderate, or fixed incomes,” said Chase Evans, Founder of Mobile Home Power. “At the same time, these homes tend to be less energy efficient while electricity prices continue to rise. That combination creates a significant energy burden — and solar can provide meaningful financial relief.”
Energy burden — defined as the percentage of household income spent on energy costs — is widely used as a measure of financial stress. Households that spend more than 6 percent of their income on energy are considered heavily burdened. Many manufactured home residents in California approach or exceed this threshold, particularly as rates continue to climb.
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that average residential electricity prices in California increased by approximately 96 percent between 2014 and 2024. Over the same period, wage growth for many lower- and middle-income households has not kept pace, widening the affordability gap and intensifying the strain on vulnerable communities.
Disproportionate Costs for Manufactured Housing
Studies highlight just how uneven the burden can be. Research from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), cited in a report by the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), found that residents of manufactured homes spend approximately 86 percent more per square foot on electricity than those living in site-built homes. Additionally, they devote roughly 5 percent of household income to energy costs — about 66 percent higher than traditional housing on average.
Several factors contribute to this disparity. Many manufactured homes were built decades ago under older energy-efficiency standards, often resulting in less insulation, older windows, and outdated electrical systems. In addition, smaller living spaces do not necessarily equate to lower utility bills when per-square-foot energy use is higher. Combined with rising utility rates, these inefficiencies compound the financial strain.
Despite California’s reputation as a national leader in solar energy adoption, manufactured housing has often been left behind in the clean energy transition. Structural, regulatory, and financial barriers have slowed adoption in this segment of the housing market.
Barriers to Solar Adoption
One major challenge involves roof load capacity. Some manufactured homes were not originally designed to support the weight of traditional rooftop solar systems, requiring specialized engineering solutions. Land-lease arrangements present another obstacle. Many manufactured home residents own their homes but rent the land beneath them in community parks, complicating installation approvals and long-term agreements.
Financing limitations also play a significant role. Traditional solar financing products are often structured around conventional mortgages or property ownership models that may not apply to manufactured housing. As a result, residents can face difficulty qualifying for standard loans or incentive programs.
Mobile Home Power was founded to address precisely these gaps. By focusing exclusively on manufactured homes, the company has developed tailored installation methods, financing options, and customer support systems designed to navigate the unique structural and legal considerations involved.
A Specialized Approach
Rather than treating manufactured housing as a niche afterthought, Mobile Home Power positions it at the center of its business model. The company offers solar solutions specifically engineered for manufactured homes, including systems designed to accommodate roof load requirements and alternative mounting configurations where necessary.
Importantly, the company also emphasizes financing structures intended to minimize or eliminate upfront costs. By providing options that deliver stable, predictable monthly energy expenses, Mobile Home Power aims to help residents replace fluctuating utility bills with more manageable payments.
“We believe the homeowners paying the highest share of their income toward electricity should not be the last to benefit from solar,” Evans said. “Our mission is simple: expand access and deliver predictable energy costs to communities that have historically been underserved.”
This targeted approach reflects a broader shift in the clean energy conversation — from simply expanding renewable capacity to ensuring equitable access. While rooftop solar installations have grown rapidly in wealthier neighborhoods, lower-income communities and manufactured housing residents have often faced structural barriers that limit participation.
Energy Equity and the Path Forward
As electricity rates continue to trend upward in California, the urgency surrounding energy equity is growing. The state’s ambitious climate goals and renewable energy mandates have accelerated grid investments and infrastructure upgrades, but the costs associated with these transitions can disproportionately impact lower-income households.
For manufactured home residents, relief measures such as rate discounts or efficiency programs can help, but they may not fully offset long-term cost pressures. Solar energy, when structured appropriately, offers a pathway to stabilize expenses and reduce exposure to future rate increases.
By concentrating exclusively on manufactured home residents — whether located in community parks or on individually owned land — Mobile Home Power seeks to bridge the access gap and ensure that clean energy benefits extend beyond traditional homeowner demographics.
Evans underscores that the company’s initiative is not solely about environmental sustainability. “As electricity rates continue to rise, energy equity becomes more urgent,” he said. “Expanding solar access for manufactured home residents isn’t just about clean energy — it’s about fairness.”
In a state where nearly one million residents live in manufactured housing, the stakes are significant. If successful, targeted solar programs could meaningfully reduce household energy burdens, improve financial stability, and contribute to a more inclusive clean energy transition.
As California continues navigating the intersection of climate policy, grid modernization, and affordability concerns, initiatives like this highlight a critical question: who benefits from the energy transition? For Mobile Home Power, the answer begins with those who have been paying the highest price for far too long.
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