On September 26th at the Washington DC Economic Partnership’s (WDCEP) first-annual WeDC Fest, Dave Velazquez, president and CEO of Pepco announced that the energy company awarded Jubilee Housing a $65,000 grant to fund an emergency battery system at the Maycroft apartment building in Columbia Heights. The battery will provide up to three days of power to Maycroft residents in the event of an extended power outage.
The grant is part of Pepco’s broad-based effort to transform the future energy experience for customers and communities, while ensuring access to vital, sustainable energy resources for customers in Washington DC.
New Partners Community Solar assisted in the design of the battery system. Construction on the Maycroft and battery system installation will be complete by the end of the year. Thanks to the vision and leadership of New Partners Community Solar, DC will have its first solar powered, batter supported on-site resiliency center.
“Creating a sustainably powered resilience room for the Maycroft affordable housing community further demonstrates our commitment to innovative technologies and increasing resilience for our most vulnerable residents and neighbors,” said Dave Velazquez, president and CEO, Pepco Holdings. “This first-of-its-kind grant in the District paves the way for the important development of new energy technologies to increase resilience and build equity that will be integral to meeting our customers’ future energy needs.”
As part of this pilot project, the Maycroft will also host a 70.2 kilowatt (kw) solar panel array on its roof and a resilience room capable of powering the Family Resource and Teen Renaissance Center for three days. Providing refrigeration for food, medication, lights, power for outlets, and communication devices. Pepco will manage the interface between the battery storage and solar installation in a pilot environment, allowing the company to learn more about how these technologies can be used in future applications.
“Jubilee Housing is excited that a community room in the Maycroft, Jubilee Housing’s newest deeply affordable justice housingSM property located at 1474 Columbia Rd NW, will be equipped to ensure access to electricity for residents in the event of a power shutdown,” said Jim Knight, president and executive director, Jubilee Housing. “Resiliency is especially important for vulnerable communities that already experience great uncertainty in the course of their lives.”