The Solar Power + Battery Back-Up Program for Community Facilities

About the Program

Solar One and Here Comes Solar are proud to be integral participants in The Solar Power + Battery Back-up Program for Community Facilities.

The program will provide direct financial assistance to improve resilience in the case of electrical grid failure due to any number of circumstances, particularly through the environmental impacts caused by events like Superstorm Sandy.

Public libraries, schools, and other non-profit community centers are the types of facilities that will receive solar + storage systems as a part of this program. Each facility will benefit from a standard grid-connected solar photovoltaic electricity system, reducing its environmental impact and generating operational electricity savings. An energy storage system will supply critical back-up power to the facility during electricity outages. The photovoltaic system will recharge the storage system during electricity outages.  These resilience measures will enable the facility to maintain essential services for the neighborhood when the grid fails.

With RFP ONE X, Solar One is funding solar + storage for four community facilities

Prior to selecting the sites and awarding the installation contracts, Solar One conducted a variety of pre-development activities including:

• Engagement and education with the facility
• Project site assessment and energy audit
• Analysis of utility consumption
• Preliminary structural assessment
• Environmental testing
• Consultation with the New York City Fire Department.
• Consultation with the NYC DOB Office of Technical Certification and Research

	Throggs Neck Volunteer Ambulance Corps is a volunteer emergency response organization that has been operating in the East Bronx since 1979. The organization is run entirely by volunteers who provide essential life support services, stabilizing patients at the scene of emergencies and bringing them to a hospital for further care. A solar power and battery back-up system at this site will enable them to maintain normal operations during blackouts, dispatching and responding to emergencies as needed. The local community will also be able to access the building for lighting, cooling, and device charging during emergencies.
	Birch Family Services provides education, habilitation, and residential services for people with autism and other developmental disabilities, with a focus on low-income individuals and their families. Their residential care facility in Canarsie serves six adult residents with developmental disabilities. A solar power and battery back-up system at this facility will enable staff to secure the comfort and safety of the residents and coordinate a response to emergency conditions during blackouts.
	Villa Maria Academy is a non-profit, private elementary school located in the East Bronx Waterfront. The student body of the Villa and their families were significantly impacted by Sandy when the school and many of the surrounding neighborhoods experienced electricity outages from fallen trees. A solar power and battery back-up system would allow the Villa’s gymnasium to convene the community and provide device charging and emergency resources during blackouts.
	Flatlands Volunteer Ambulance Corps is also a volunteer emergency response organization. It has been operating in the South Brooklyn Waterfront since 1981. The organization is operated entirely by a team of 50-80 volunteers, all of whom are certified Emergency Medical Technicians that provide both basic and advanced life support services. Flatlands also provides courses on CPR, Defensive Driving, and basic and refresher EMT training. A solar power and battery back-up system at this site will enable them to maintain normal operations during blackouts, dispatching and responding to emergencies as needed. The local community will also be able to access the building space for lighting, cooling, and device charging during emergencies.

Solar power and battery back-up systems at each of these facilities will provide tremendous benefits to their communities in future storm emergencies.  We welcome their participation in this program and look forward to empowering a more resilient city.

The List of Qualified Vendors

Map Placeholder Image

Here Comes Solar is a project of Solar One.

To learn more about Solar One, click the image below.