Johnson Controls, GRID Alternatives Colorado and Capital Dynamics announce that they will fund, operate and maintain a 2 MW solar garden for the Pueblo City Housing Authority (HACP).
As one of six commissioned projects, the solar garden is a photovoltaic system (PV) that consists of floor-mounted solar modules. The energy capacity is allocated to a mix of skilled, low-income residents and affordable apartment buildings. In addition, the project provides practical solar training and employment opportunities for the local community.
The project is anchored by the HACP in support of their long-term affordable housing initiative with Pueblo, Colorado to improve sustainability and population health. The project illustrates Johnson Controls' vision of how "healthy buildings lead to healthier people, healthier places and a healthier planet". The improved building efficiency will directly support community wellbeing while reducing the city's carbon footprint to create a greener and healthier environment. Energy efficiency measures will provide quantitative metrics to ensure that the community's public health goals are met.
Johnson Controls, who oversees the project and is responsible for site management, worked with GRID Alternatives, a company that provides communities nationwide with access to clean, affordable renewable energy, transportation, and jobs for economic and environmental justice. There are no up-front costs to the city thanks to investment partner at Johnson Controls, who funded the Capital Dynamics project, a private asset management firm focused on midsize business investments and clean energy infrastructure. The three organizations 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 support HACP in the development of five additional public residential areas with on-site solar systems utilizing Black Hills Energy's incentives. Together, all locations equipped with these systems will drastically reduce costs while creating a more environmentally friendly community.
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