Denver Housing Authority to launch low-income community solar program

As community solar grows across the United States, it seems like everyone wants to get in on the game. As the latest participant, the Denver Housing Authority has announced that it will launch its own community solar program, including a plan to construct at 2 MW solar project.

The program will be open to other affordable housing providers and housing authorities in the Denver metro area, and will be supported by utility Xcel Energy’s community solar program as well as a number of partners including GRID Alternatives Colorado.

As is the case with projects that GRID Alternatives is involved in, the program will provide job training and employment for residents interested in working in the solar industry.

Enterprise Community Loan Fund and Monarch Private Capital will serve as financial partners, and Boulder, Colorado-based Namasté Solar will serve as the installation partner.

When all of this is going to happen is unclear, as a brief press release from Denver Housing Authority did not provide timelines for the program launch, or the development of the 2 MW project.

But while it is far from the only state with a community solar market, Colorado has been leading in low-income community solar. GRID Alternatives Colorado is also involved in a 1.95 MW low-income community solar project which is under construction next to a landfill in Fort Collins, in collaboration with a local electrical cooperative.