Solar  -  October 13, 2021

Rhode Island Public Housing to Save Costs With Three Solar Installations

The Public Housing Association of Rhode Island (PHARI) will soon be launching a project that will provide energy savings to its public housing residents.

The PHARI is working with Nautilus Solar Energy and Veolia North America to install three solar panel fields that will provide power to nine separate housing authorities. The solar installations are expected to provide more than 20 million kWh of electricity to housing authorities in Providence, North Providence, Newport, Cranston, Smithfield, Warwick, Warren, Bristol and Lincoln.

The project will be executed under a single renewable energy contract for multiple public housing authorities and is expected to provide approximately $30 million in energy cost savings over the next 20 years.

The projects are in the early stages of development and are expected to start construction in the first half of 2022.

“Every housing authority in Rhode Island is working to provide the highest quality affordable housing possible with limited budgets,” Robert Coupe, PHARI co-president and executive director of the Cranston Housing Authority, said in a statement. “Our partnership with Veolia North America/SourceOne and Nautilus will dramatically reduce utility costs for many years to come, freeing valuable resources to invest in property maintenance, facility improvements and operational support. By supporting the growth of renewable energy projects, we will improve the quality of life for future generations while enhancing our ability to serve current residents.”