The Fairhaven Housing Authority (FHA) is a public housing provider that owns and manages 284+ affordable housing units in Fairhaven for low-income elderly and differently-abled individuals and families.

Challenge

The Fairhaven Housing Authority replaced one of its projects’ outdated natural gas system with electric heat and realized that the new electric system would negatively impact its utility budget. As a PowerOptions member for about 10 years, FHA sought their help to go solar and optimize their energy savings.

Solution

FHA decided to implement solar and signed a PPA with Solect, supported by PowerOptions.
According to the contract, Solect installed, owns, and operates the solar array on the organization’s roof. In exchange, it sells the power generated back to the organization at a fixed rate for 20 years as stipulated by the contract.

Results

A 40% reduction in electricity costs

This project involved an additional challenge stemming from the facility’s cement roof and location in a high-wind zone (140 mph), making installing a standard roof-mounted PVC system difficult.
Solect installed a cutting-edge SolarPod Crown racking, perfect for the roof’s nature and robust enough to withstand strong wind. FHA anticipates the array to support up to 40% of its facility’s annual electricity demand and projects an estimated savings of $467,000 over the 20-year agreement period.