Housing Developers Use Solar Power to Put the "Affordable" in Affordable Housing

groSolar Employee Sees the Fruits of her Labor Benefit her Hometown

Waterbury, CT--- For one groSolar employee, the impact of a recent solar power project hit particularly close to home. Lani Daddona, a customer service supervisor, grew up just north of Schoolhouse Apartments, a 400-unit affordable housing community in Waterbury, CT, where groSolar installed a roof system last summer.

Touring the rooftop of the Schoolhouse Apartments gave Lani a panoramic view of her childhood and early adulthood.

“Standing on the top of that historic building that was at the center of so many of my memories, I felt lucky to be a part of groSolar’s commitment to bring renewable energy to the people who need it most,” said Daddona. “This project really taught me about the social benefits of solar power. This is the future of how we generate electricity, and it should be accessible to everyone.”

For developers trying to meet the demand for affordable housing in New England, reducing initial construction costs is always a concern. However, investing in solar power solutions at the outset can ultimately prove to be the most cost-effective strategy.

WinnDevelopment, one of the country’s largest affordable housing developers, worked with Vermont-based groSolar to provide a renewable energy solution at seven of its affordable housing developments in Massachusetts and Connecticut. They are convinced that groSolar’s rooftop installations at their properties will lower expenses for both property managers and residents far into the future.

“By installing solar energy at these locations, we are preserving the long term affordability of the developments, and also allowing residents to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Heather Clark, director of Green Building at WinnDevelopment.

With that in mind, WinnDevelopment last summer began an ambitious undertaking: installing a combined 4,200 solar panels on the roofs of seven of its affordable housing developments in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Totaling 821.5kW and receiving partial funding from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, the system provides WinnDevelopment with secure, inexpensive electricity that helps reduce long-term operating costs.

“We are extremely pleased with the results,” said Larry Curtis, managing partner at WinnDevelopment. “This is the direction the affordable housing industry is going and we want to play a lead role in it.”

For groSolar, designing and installing solar power systems at seven properties across two states was a challenge that it happily accepted.

"Solar for affordable housing ties in perfectly with our mission,” said Jeff Wolfe, CEO of groSolar. "We provided a cost-effective electricity option that benefits low-income families, while installing more solar on more roofs. This is an excellent example of how doing something good for the environment also makes great social and economic sense.”

About groSolar
groSolar is North America’s premiere provider of solar energy solutions focused on designing, distributing and installing high quality solar electric and solar hot water systems. groSolar provides residential installation in the northeast and mid-Atlantic states, and commercial installation in California as well as the eastern US, serving other areas through an extensive dealer network. With a system of warehouses across the continent, groSolar has the broadest distribution capabilities of any solar provider. Learn more at groSolar.com or call groSolar at 800.374.4494 from 8am – 5pm EST.

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