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By the numbers:
Rooftop Solar System Size: 64 kW (DC) / 70,565 kWh annual generation
- (141) LG NeonH 455 panels
Battery Energy Storage System Size: 125kW / 44,000 kWh
Battery Energy Storage System Model:
- (2) BESS cabinets
- (4) Kore Lithium-ion Battery Racks
- ELM Fieldsight Microgrid Controller and Switchgear
The Kenzi at Bartlett Station is a Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) project providing 50 units of supportive, affordable housing for older adults. The grid-tied rooftop solar array provides renewable energy to offset building energy use.
It is part of the five-phase redevelopment of a former bus yard in Roxbury. The project serves as a model for sustainable development by reducing carbon footprints and providing marginalized communities with access to clean energy.
Why Battery Energy Storage System:
Mid-rise buildings going 100% electric is difficult because local fire and inspection departments require emergency battery backup power systems for measures needed to ensure safe emergency exit, such as lighting stairwells and fire alarms. Previously, buildings relied on fossil fuel generators to power multi-family buildings. However, with POAH as the building’s developer and owner, DREAM as the architecture firm, and ReVision Energy as the solar and battery storage system designer and installer, the organizations were able to work with regulatory agencies to install and permit a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which replaced the traditional fossil fuel backup generator. During power outages, these systems kick in to power things like stairwell lights and elevators, ensuring residents can safely leave the building.
Additional Project Information:
The Kenzi is the first all-electric building over four stories to have an emergency battery energy storage system in the City of Boston!
For more see “Roxbury affordable housing development goes fully electric — even when the power goes out,” Bay State Banner