Martha’s Vineyard Hospital energizes new solar project
A new solar installation near the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital in Massachusetts is showcasing a new energy model, its developer says, intersecting commercial solar with community benefits.
Developed by PowerOptions Connect with assistance from Vineyard Power and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the new 138 kW installation is located at the hospital’s workforce housing development. The project is expected to deliver more than $550,000 in energy bill savings for “income-qualified island households” over the next 25 years.
“This project reflects our commitment to both our staff and our community,” says Michael Cosgrave, chief administrative officer at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. “By integrating solar into our workforce housing and partnering with Vineyard Power and (PowerOptions Connect), we can cut emissions while creating a new, locally guided resource for Island households that are struggling with high energy costs.”
The project is the first to reach completion under PowerOptions Connect’s new SolarShare program. Described by officials as a plan to turn institutional solar projects into a revenue stream with community benefits, the program supplements energy savings from solar projects with one-time grants and philanthropic capital.
With the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital solar installation complete, Vineyard Power’s Resiliency and Affordability Program Advisory Committee will now oversee the distribution of financial benefits.
Distributing energy, and its benefits
Instead of retaining all of its economic value on-site, the project at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital will be able to allocate up to 50% of its financial benefits to island households that exhibit high energy usage. This community benefit framework came about thanks to a grant from Vineyard Power’s Resiliency and Affordability Program.
“The Resiliency and Affordability Program is a community benefit secured from Vineyard Wind,” says Richard Andre, Vineyard Power’s president, “that was designed to enable local renewable energy generation, increase resilience, and advance energy affordability through local initiatives that deliver tangible benefits to the community.”
Vineyard Power is able to identify households on the island that need the benefits most using its existing programs, including enrolling its residents in utility discount rates and low-income community shared solar projects.
In addition to helping island residents with their energy bill, the workforce housing-based project is the beginning of the expansion for PowerOptions Connect’s solar procurement model. The company says its SolarShare initiative collaborates with local partners to make participation as easy as possible for eligible community solar households.
“SolarShare creates a way for mission-driven organizations to use solar projects to support the people they serve, while giving donors a chance to fund work with measurable local impact,” says Dan Lesser, PowerOptions Connect’s senior program manager. “By connecting hosts like MVH with funders and partners such as Vineyard Power, we build projects that increase the impact of donor dollars and deliver lasting local benefits.”
The new approach should be a boon to PowerOptions Connect and other solar firms around the northeast going forward, according to representatives. The program will allow nonprofit and public entities to not only develop renewable energy on-site, but direct a portion of economic benefits to households that need it.
