Johnson Controls, GRID Alternatives Colorado and Capital Dynamics say they will finance, operate and maintain a 2 MW community solar garden for the Housing Authority for the City of Pueblo (HACP).
One of six contracted projects, the solar garden is a photovoltaic (PV) system composed of ground-mounted solar panels. The energy capacity will be allocated to a mix of qualified, low-income residents, as well as multifamily affordable housing properties. In addition, the project will provide hands-on solar training and employment opportunities for the local community.
The project is anchored by the HACP in support of its long-term affordable housing initiative with Pueblo, Colo., to improve sustainability and community health. The project exemplifies Johnson Controls vision of how “healthy buildings lead to healthier people, healthier places and a healthier planet.” The improved building efficiencies will directly support community wellness while reducing the city’s carbon footprint to create a greener, healthier environment. Energy efficiency measures will provide quantitative metrics to ensure the community’s public health goals are achieved.
Johnson Controls, who oversees the project and is responsible for site management, worked with GRID Alternatives, a company that provides access to clean, affordable renewable energy, transportation, and jobs to economic and environmental justice communities nationwide. There will be no upfront costs to the city thanks to the Johnson Controls investment partner who financed the project, Capital Dynamics, a private asset management firm focused on mid-market corporate investing and clean energy infrastructure. The three organizations have worked together to design, build, install and maintain the solar garden for HACP.
In addition to the solar garden, Johnson Controls and GRID Alternatives will help HACP develop five additional public housing sites with onsite solar PV systems using incentives from Black Hills Energy. Combined, all of the sites equipped with these systems will dramatically reduce costs while creating a greener community.
To learn more about Johnson Controls’ renewable energy solutions, click here.
