Nonprofit Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) recently received the green light from Eversource to operate its newly installed rooftop solar panels at its family affordable housing development in Bourne thanks to a Gap Energy Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

The Gap Energy Grant is an innovative and cost-effective funding model that supports clean energy projects to reduce energy usage, save money and reduce greenhouse gases in order to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

The rooftop solar system at High Meadow Townhomes was facilitated by POAH’s partner grantee, Housing Assistance, a nonprofit provider of housing programs on Cape Cod, and will produce an estimated average savings of $13,000/yr for 25 years on electric costs. Additionally, it is estimated to produce $900/year for 25 years in Class I Renewable Energy Certificate Revenue through which businesses/individuals can buy environmental attributes of the solar generation to offset carbon emissions from other energy use for Environmental Sustainability Governance goals.  The market in Massachusetts yields around $.03/kWh generated.

Earlier this year, POAH, along with Resonant Energy, installed solar roof panels on Torrey Woods, a 20-unit family housing development in Weymouth, MA that is expected to save an average of $12,000/yr for 25 years on electric costs.  

POAH, a nonprofit developer, owner and operator of more than 14,000 affordable rental apartments nationwide, is known as a leader in multifamily housing sustainability and energy efficiency, continually implementing the latest technology in energy resiliency.

Its Design + Building Performance team holistically integrates energy and water efficiency into development projects and the owned portfolio, working closely with property management staff to maintain each building’s green upgrades and monitor the effectiveness of our conservation initiatives. POAH has been constructing some of its new developments to the Passive House Institute of the US (PHIUS) passive house standard, the premier level of environmental sustainability in multifamily construction that creates comfortable and healthy structures requiring minimal energy.