Massachusetts Affordable Housing Solar Pilot a Success - Program to Expand in 2022
2.10.2022
—
Press ReleasesGreen Homes
STAR Launches with 48 Affordable Housing Solar Installations,
Program Expands with Additional 15 Housers
Resonant Energy, the Boston branch of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC) are pleased to announce the signing of over 1.2 megawatts (MW) of solar commitments across 48 rooftops operated by affordable housing providers in the first phase of the Solar Technical Assistance Retrofit (STAR) Program — surpassing the program’s initial goal by 20%. The STAR Program, launched in January 2021, connects multifamily affordable housing developers in Massachusetts to the resources and technical assistance needed to explore the benefits of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology with the aim of helping affordable housing become more financially and environmentally sustainable.
So far, 6 organizations have chosen to move forward with solar installations based on the analysis they received through the STAR program. These organizations are taking a significant step toward achieving climate and energy resilience for their portfolios, all while saving an estimated $1.3 million over the 25-year lifetime of the solar panels and preserving the equivalent of 1,210 acres of forest. These solar pioneers include The Neighborhood Developers (TND) of Chelsea and Revere, Allston Brighton CDC of Boston, Lawrence CommunityWorks (LCW) of Lawrence, Housing Nantucket, CASCAP Inc of Somerville, and Homeowner’s Rehab (HRI) of Cambridge.
The STAR program provided the perfect opportunity for us to transition more than a dozen buildings in our portfolio to using and producing sustainable energy.
For the next phase of the campaign, the program is designed to reach some of the larger
affordable housing owners in the state and the capacity target has been tripled to 3 MW, which
will generate about $250,000 per year in energy savings for participating organizations. Over the 25-year lifetime of the solar systems, the organizers expect their cumulative benefit to the
housing owners to surpass $6 million.
