In The News: Four New Solar Arrays Energized at Maple Crest at Lee Walker Heights
Above Image: City Council Members Antanette Mosley and Kim Roney, ‘energize’ the solar system at Building 21W. Others in the photo include Rich Olejniczak from Mountain Housing Opportunities, Tara Irby from Asheville Housing Authority, Michael Churchman from Eagle Solar & Light, and Phelps Clarke from Pisgah Energy.
Systems Will Generate 243,372kwh of Renewable Energy
Two of Asheville’s affordable housing organizations partnered with Pisgah Energy and Eagle Solar & Light to power four apartment buildings with renewable energy. The new solar electric systems will offset over 172 metric tons of carbon dioxide every year. The CO2 offset is equivalent to the annual energy usage of 22 homes or driving a 2021 Tesla Model 3 coast-to-coast over 390 times.
Asheville, NC/JULY 2022 – On July 18, members of Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO), the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville, and the community, along with City Council Members, Antanette Mosley and Kim Roney, gathered to celebrate the energization of four new solar arrays at Maple Crest at Lee Walker Heights, an affordable housing apartment property in downtown Asheville. MHO and Asheville Housing partnered with Pisgah Energy and Eagle Solar & Light to design, develop and install the roof-mounted solar arrays totaling 176kWdc/144kWac. Serving as on-site electrical generation for the apartment complex, the renewable energy produced by the arrays will help offset the energy usage of four apartment buildings.
These buildings now have a total of 425 solar panels that will augment their power. The systems will produce approximately 243,372 kWh of renewable energy annually, offsetting over 172 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year. This impact is equivalent to the annual energy usage of 22 homes or driving a 2021 Tesla Model 3 coast-to-coast over 390 times.
Asheville Housing has invested more than $10 million in energy efficiency improvements in its communities over the last 15 years, but this is the first major solar PV initiative. We are proud of this work, which reduces both our carbon footprint and operating costs, to keep our communities affordable.
—David Nash, Asheville Housing Authority Executive Director
It’s been a pleasure working with MHO, Asheville Housing and Eagle Solar & Light on this project. We believe that solar is for everyone, so it means a great deal to have played a part in bringing solar power to Maple Crest Apartments.
—Evan Becka, President and Senior Developer at Pisgah Energy
ABOUT:
Mountain Housing Opportunities has been serving the rural residents of Western North Carolina with affordable, reliable, safe services, and open communications for over 80 years. As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, the member-owners of Haywood EMC have a say in everything the cooperative does through a democratically elected Board of Directors. The Board of Directors represent member-owners in 8 districts across the 8 counties we serve in Western North Carolina, as well as parts of Rabun County, GA, and Oconee County, SC.
Housing Authority of the City of Asheville h is a public housing agency and the largest provider of affordable housing in Western North Carolina, serving more than 3,000 families in Asheville and Buncombe County. Asheville Housing’s mission is to provide safe, quality, and affordable housing, to expand available resources, and to collaborate with the community to create opportunities for resident self-reliance and economic independence.
Pisgah Energy is on a mission to lead the transition of commercial, municipal, and institutional clients from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. We serve our clients using insight and expertise derived from 20 years working in the renewable energy sector. We provide comprehensive solar and energy storage design & development services for commercial, municipal, and institutional clients across the Southeast. Our team has a proven track record of developing solar and energy storage projects that are both innovative and uniquely tailored to meet the needs of each individual client.
Eagle Solar & Light It is our passion to expand renewable energy by developing partnerships driven by trust and integrity, while meeting savings and sustainability goals. We are a North American Board of Certified Electrical Practitioners (NABCEP)-certified general contractor licensed in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and North Carolina. We believe that individuals, businesses, nonprofits and, in particular, marginalized and underserved communities, should have access to clean, abundant solar energy to save money and gain energy independence. We constantly seek opportunities to educate our communities about solar energy and power a cleaner tomorrow.
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