Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington
2 MW in size, with nearly 5,000 solar panels
Photo credit: Jay Stern/Landmark Photography
As project developer, Mission Energy helped design and implement the largest solar ground array for construction to-date in DC.
Modeling ecological stewardship, the project includes a pollinator field underneath the solar ground array and adds nearly 100 evergreen and deciduous tress around the property to reduce storm water runoff.
Annual energy cost savings enhances Catholic Charitiesโ mission work, such as offering relief to the homeless, medical and dental care to the poor, services for the mentally ill, and education and job opportunities for young people with developmental differences.
Project Summary
Organization: Catholic Charities โ Archdiocese of Washington DC (CC-ADW)
Location: 14 acres surrounding the Gift of Peace house and convent in Northeast Washington, DC
CHALLENGE
CC-ADW was seeking ways to utilize available land for their plot in north-east Washington, just about four miles from the Capitol. The organization wanted to respond directly to Pope Francisโs call to action in Laudato Si and source energy for their buildings in a more environmentally friendly way, however they lacked expertise and understanding of where to begin with exploring the possible benefits of solar, and there was no precedent within the Archdiocese for developing and generating solar power.
ANALYSIS
Initial analysis and research showed that making use of available land with a large ground solar array could substantially reduce operating costs for the organization. Mission Energy composed multiple design and financial models to help CC-ADW determine a path forward. Incorporating solar incentives available through the District of Columbia and Pepco, the design was optimized to offset their propertiesโ energy needs, as well as generate solar credits as income that could support their programs and services.
STRATEGY
โข Placed CC-ADW with a 3rd party investor and secured the capital that paid for the entire construction
โข Vetted competitive bids among solar contractors and helped select Solar Energy Services as the installer
โข Helped CC-ADW negotiate the Power Purchase Agreement with the investor
โข Served as Project Manager for CC-ADW through the beginning of construction
RESULTS
โข The proceeds will cover nearly all of the energy costs of Catholic Charitiesโ 12 properties in the District of Columbia and also fund maintenance costs for the Gift of Peace building
โข Serves as an example of what is possible when public, private, religious, and community groups work together to accomplish a common goal of environmental and community benefits
โข Solar energy produced by the system is expected to offset nearly 3,400 tons of CO2 emissions per year, the equivalent of 735 cars on average in one year.
IN THE NEWS
โข National Catholic Reporter: Catholic Charities to build D.C.'s largest solar array
โข WAMU: Local Faith Organizations Lead The Charge For Solar
โข Aleteia: D.C. Catholic Charities to be powered by massive 5-acre solar power installation
โข Catholic Charities USA Magazine: Protecting the gift of nature yields win-win for agency
LINKS
โข Press Release: July 10, 2019
โข Blog Post: Solar Pollinator Begins to Grow
โข Video: Solar Array at Catholic Charities DC
DOWNLOADS
โข Click here to download a two-page .pdf of this project summary













