Sunlight Solar Energy Inc. completed installation of a 13.44 kW solar electric system on the Shawme Heights II apartment complex. Funded by the Recovery Act Green Retrofit Program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the installation will help cut utility costs and increase the energy efficiency of the building.
Sunlight Solar Energy estimates that the 42 panel photovoltaic system will save $2,599 annually in electric bills and will offset carbon dioxide emissions by 20,634 lbs annually. "We are excited to make Shawme Heights II a green building," said Betty Rankin, property manager of the 50-unit affordable residential property.
Shawme Heights II is one of the several Mass. affordable housing properties that received funding from HUD's Green Retrofit Program for Multifamily Housing (GRP). GRP awards grants and loans from Recovery Act funds to affordable housing developments for energy efficient upgrades, ranging from window and door replacement to solar panels and geothermal installation. The Green Retrofit Program has provided $250 million nationally in order to improve the quality of life for affordable housing residents, reduce energy consumption and costs, and create local jobs in the green energy industry.