A solar and storage array called Maycroft Apartments Microgrid in Washington D.C., is the first affordable housing development in the District of Columbia to fully power a resiliency center through solar photovoltaics partnered with a battery storage facility.
The microgrid provides backup power for critical loads lasting up to three days, allowing for the refrigeration of food and medication, for those residents with health needs, operation of heating or cooling fans, lighting, charging electrical equipment, as well as a microwave for food preparation and a TV. The solar and storage system also powers lighting for stairwells and hallways throughout the condominium.
The Maycroft project is part of Solar for All, a public charity which exists to reduce energy poverty by providing solar power systems to low-income areas, which allows residents to reap financial benefits from microgrids. By utilizing an innovative model to pass community solar savings directly to poorer households, the program allows participants to save an average $40 every month per residence on utility bills.
The apartments were developed by Jubilee Housing with assistance from The Pepco Foundation grant funding. The solar system was designed in a partnership between NewPartners Solar, Amidus, Pepco (the local utility), with technical assistance from Clean Energy Group’s Resilient Power Project.
The microgrid includes 16 lithium ferro phosphate batteries, totaling 46 kW/56 kWh, connected to a 62.4-kW rooftop solar array. The system can automatically disconnect from the grid during a utility outage and enable power from the solar panels and batteries to continue providing resilient and reliable energy to vital facilities so the residents are not without power.
The batteries and related equipment are valued at $90,000 and their installation was $40,000. The community rooftop PV array was partially completed, and its final cost was $197,000. The Pepco Foundation provided $65,000 in funding to support the battery installation. The installation will provide the utility with valuable data on urban microgrid usage for future developments.