The Capitol Hill Community Solar project will serve three primary goals: produce clean energy, support the regional clean energy economy (all of the system components and labor are locally sourced!), and reduce the long-term operating costs of affordable housing.
- Clean Energy – the system will generate approximately 25,000 kWh of clean electricity annually.
- Local Economy – all of the system components are made in Washington and the installer is Seattle-based.
- Affordable Housing – after the system is paid off in 2020, and all of the participants (you!) are paid back, ownership of the system will be transferred to Capitol Hill Housing to reduce its operating costs for the Holiday Apartments.
Participants can buy in for as low as $150, support the program, then get their money back via credits on their Seattle City Light bill. It’s pretty painless and supports a great cause. The link between clean energy and affordability is one of the most exciting aspects of this project. This is the ONLY community solar project on affordable housing IN THE COUNTRY!
If you’d like to learn more about the Community Solar – Capitol Hill project, you can check out the EcoDistrict project site:
http://capitolhillecodistrict.org/projects/
The Community Solar project also was recently featured in the CHS blog:
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2014/09/extending-power-of-the-super-green-bullitt-center-capitol-hill-ecodistrict-plans-community-backed-solar-project-to-help-light-up-e-john-affordable-apartments/#more-2067143648
And the EcoDistrict’s own blog:
http://capitolhillecodistrict.org/category/community-solar/
Please join by signing up. Here’s that link again:
http://www.seattle.gov/light/solarenergy/commsolarcurrent.asp