The historic Deanwood Firehouse in northeast DC, built in 1908, recently needed some renovations to keep up with the clean energy revolution. When the call went out for a solar installation on the firehouse’s roof, SaveSolar came to the rescue, and, together with the DC government, ensured that the building was equipped to generate clean energy for the community.
The clean energy generated by the solar on the rooftop — over 100,000 kilowatt hours — is sent back into the grid, giving about 27 households in the District $500 of clean energy each year for the next 15 years. That’s about $250,000 in free electricity for the community thanks to this system.
Meanwhile, the building owners can sit back and collect a new revenue stream from leasing out the roof to SaveSolar, who also provided a roof warranty to give the building owners an extra sense of security.
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.
Working with the DC government to put solar on the firehouse roof was proof to me that the government can lead by example. New sustainability standards for federal buildings will soon add to this progress, ensuring that solar companies are an essential part of the country’s future. Building owners, whether public, private, or individuals, should take heed and put their rooftops to work for the community — and for their pocketbooks.
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.