A new roof, a new revenue stream and clean solar energy for the community. These are just some of the benefits going toward the owners of this apartment building in southeast Washington, D.C., thanks to the latest community solar installation from SaveSolar. As the project’s developer, owner and operator, SaveSolar led the effort, all with no out-of-pocket costs for the building owners, who now collect a passive revenue stream from simply leasing out their roof space to SaveSolar.
The clean energy generated each year by the installation — about 53,838 kilowatt hours — is sent back into the District’s grid and supplied to those who are unable to go solar (like renters), or those who simply can’t afford to.
The only challenge was in replacing the 50-year-old rooftop, but with help from our partners at Solar Gaines and Prime Partners Engineering, the roof was replaced, inspected, certified and given a Firestone warranty.
The District’s Solar for All program aims to bring the benefits of solar energy to 100,000 low to moderate-income families in the District of Columbia. Those who qualify will receive up to 50% off their electric bills.
The clean energy generated by SaveSolar’s projects not only makes it possible for more D.C. residents to qualify for Solar for All, but SaveSolar is also knocking on doors and helping residents enroll in this innovative program.
For multi-family developers with income-qualified residents, SaveSolar is one of the few companies able to submit projects to the DCSEU and deliver the energy at no-cost to qualified District residents. SaveSolar has been an active participant of the Solar for All program since 2018, having successfully developed over 2.5 MWs to the District’s Solar for All program to date.
I approached the building owners of this affordable housing complex and we agreed to replace their old rooftop, cover it in solar panels and lease it out to SaveSolar. Now, this building powers dozens of D.C. homes with clean solar energy. We hope building owners across the District will see this success and understand the financial and community potential that their unused rooftops hold.
SaveSolar is a Washington, D.C.-based organization that specializes in developing community solar assets. We work with building owners to finance and build solar assets, then compensate the building owners with long-term revenue and generate that solar energy back into the utility. This energy is then provided at a discount to residential, low-income community subscribers. Our mission is to help the District reach its renewable energy goals and to lower the cost of electricity. The SaveSolar executive leadership team has over 60 years of combined experience in renewable energy markets in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. We have diversified experience across construction, finance, project management, technology and sustainability.