By Grace Lowe
The District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) has granted $540,000 to the F.H. Faunteroy Community Enrichment Center (Faunteroy Center) for the development of a microgrid system aimed at strengthening the center's role as a community resilience hub. DOEE has collaborated with the Faunteroy Center and the Ward 7 Resilience Hub Community Coalition since 2017 to help establish the District's first resilience hub in Deanwood, a neighborhood facing disproportionate impacts from climate change. Additionally, The Harrison Institute, Georgetown Climate Center, and Social Enterprise Nonprofit Law Clinic have all played various critical supporting roles, including creating and leading the Equity Advisory Group (EAG) process with DOEE. Located within an affordable housing complex in Deanwood, the Faunteroy Center provides important community services, including youth programs, workforce development, and community outreach. The microgrid system, which is made up of solar, battery storage, and a controller, will provide clean backup power to the center and enable the provision of essential emergency services, such as cell phone charging and refrigeration of medication.
Source: District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment
The innovative pilot project aligns with the goals outlined in the District's Climate Ready DC, Resilient DC, Clean Energy DC, and Sustainable DC plans and will help inform the equitable build out of additional resilience hubs across the District. DOEE is developing the pilot as part of the Inclusive Shared Solar Initiative, a collaboration between NASEO, the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association (NEADA), and the State Energy Offices and state LIHEAP offices in D.C., Wisconsin, and Minnesota to expand access to community solar. The Faunteroy Center has also received additional funding support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration. For more details, visit DOEE's project page and Faunteroy Center's resilience hub implementation page.
