Clark Energy Group Partners with District Department of the Environment and Columbia Heights Village to Reduce Energy and Water Usage

WASHINGTON — Clark Energy Group (CEG) will begin construction this week on a comprehensive utility savings package for Columbia Heights Village Apartments (CHV) that will reduce water and electricity consumption, and offset a portion of the community's energy demands with renewable energy. The initiative will position CHV on the cutting edge of sustainability within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) housing stock and the District of Columbia, and will save considerable money for the property.

"The property has been looking for ways to save energy and become more environmentally responsible, so we are excited to begin work on these projects," said Risha Williams, senior property manager at Columbia Heights Village.

Columbia Heights Village is a 406-unit, 31-building affordable apartment development located on 14th Street, N.W. near Harvard Street and Columbia Road. To help offset the property's electricity use, CEG is working with groSolar of Jessup, MD to install a 20-kilowatt rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system.

Grants from the District Department of the Environment's (DDOE) Renewable Energy Incentive Program and the U.S Treasury Department's Section 1603 Program will partially fund costs of the system, which is anticipated to produce 25,000 kWh of electricity each year and meet approximately 5% of the common area electrical demand in the property's high-rise building. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, if installed today, the Columbia Heights system would be the third-largest solar PV installation in the District of Columbia. Other components of the overall initiative include upgrading water fixtures in each of the 406 units with high-efficiency toilets, showerheads, and faucet aerators, and installing energy-efficient lighting in the common areas and exterior areas of the building. Installation will begin on February 21.

"Though it represents only a small piece of the action needed to address our nation's energy issues, this type of project demonstrates how property owners can make a meaningful difference at the building level," said Ryan Zampardo, development associate at Clark Energy Group. Columbia Heights Village intends to leverage this initiative, through a series of on-site events, as an opportunity to inform residents of the importance of energy conservation and empower them to actively contribute to sustainability efforts in their own lives.

In total, the utility conservation measures at Columbia Heights Village are expected to result in annual water savings of over five million gallons and annual electricity savings of 90,000 kWh, the equivalent environmental impact of planting 1,657 trees or avoiding consumption of 7,270 gallons of gasoline. All proceeds from these savings will be re-invested into the property in the form of other capital improvement and social services projects.

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