Cost/benefit analysis only part of the rationale when considering greening affordable housing

Toby Ast, POAH’s Manager of Energy Initiatives

At POAH our primary focus is on energy efficiency but we also try to take advantage of opportunities to install renewable energy systems whenever possible.  To date we have installed several systems that use solar energy, both for electric generation and domestic hot water heating.  Those projects have helped to inform our approach to using solar energy at portfolio properties. Here are some lessons we've learned.
In the spring issue of POAH’s electronic newsletter, I shared tools to help determine if the potential energy savings justify the investment of time, money, and other resources necessary to capture those savings.

Live View! see real time energy performance of the Bridle Path Apartments solar panels and Salem Fairweather (top left) solar panels and Sugar River Mills (second photo down)

What you’re looking at: The multi colored image on the left is of 8330 On The River, a 280-unit high rise building in Detroit. The photo was taken last year with an infrared camera and highlights the effectiveness of weatherization. The area of blue on the left - where the metal panels have been installed - is cold air that is kept outside the building and blocked from coming inside.  The area of reds and yellows - where the plates have not yet been installed on the right hand side - show the great amount of heat and energy escaping from the building.

Read about other greening activities at POAH properties

POAH has completed green retrofits at the Garfield Hill Apartments in Washington, DC one of the country's first four green retrofits funded by the HUD Green Retrofit Program for Multifamily Housing created by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.