The combination of affordable housing an energy efficiency are essential in the development of city’s housing plans. This story discusses Washington DC placing PV panels on rooftops of affordable housing buildings. This is a great integrated project as poorer households tend to spend a larger portion of their income on utilities than richer families. Cities have the ability finance the higher initial investment in solar power that will pay off in the long run with lower utility bills. This effectively lowers the cost of living for households in search of affordable housing.
Creating solar panels is still not enough, however, to create sustainable affordable housing. Solar is considered "active" heating where machinery brings hot or cold air to change the temperature, where much of the new green building incorporates "passive" heating, which sets the home up to use less energy by using heavy insulation and positioning windows to take advantage of heat from the sun. Affordable housing complexes, like Sheridan Station in DC, that take advantage of passive heating and solar energy create not only a lower burden on lower income families, but is also good for our environment.
image via Sheridan Station
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