Villa West is a 170-unit affordable housing development in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Villa West microgrid project consists of a combined 97 kilowatt rooftop solar PV array and 71 kilowatt battery storage for three of 12 buildings. It ensures there will be electricity for life-saving medical equipment and medications requiring refrigeration on site in the event of a power outage.
Villa West residents, which include seniors and disabled persons, will continue to have electricity in their apartments, keeping them safe if the power to the buildings goes out.
The solar panels generate electricity from the sun. The batteries collect and store electricity for use and to charge the batteries.
“By leveraging federal grants and incentives, WHPC can revitalize a 40-year-old property to be energy-sustainable and benefit its residents. Without this funding, WHPC could not have completed a project of this magnitude.”
When fully completed across all 12 buildings, the Villa West solar and battery installation could be the largest microgrid in the State of Wisconsin. The installations were funded by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin’s Office of Energy Innovation Energy Innovation Grant Program (PCS OEI EIGP), which provided grants to greatly support the project.
The project also takes advantage of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) through the Federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The credit allows WHPC to receive a percentage of the cost of the systems as a direct payment from the IRS.
The clean energy movement has accelerated in Wisconsin with more funds becoming available for sustainable projects. The Villa West microgrid is a great example of how nonprofits like WHPC can use federal funding to provide renewable energy and resiliency to benefit residents.
Without this grant funding, WHPC could not have completed a project of this magnitude. By leveraging federal grants and incentives, WHPC can revitalize a 40-year-old property to be energy-sustainable for the long-term.
