Clean Energy

BlueHub Energy: Low-income communities can lead the way toward a greener future

We understand that the effects of climate change don’t come and go with the seasons. BlueHub Energy has long focused on climate change and environmental justice, working to mitigate the negative effects for low-income communities, while also ensuring that everyone, despite where they live or their level of wealth, can access renewable energy sources.

BlueHub Energy develops innovative financing and business models that expand access to solar and other renewable sources for people with low incomes.

Our Work

Electric Vehicle Pilot

As cities and states take steps towards a cleaner and greener future, we must place equity at the center. Too often, the communities that stand to benefit most from environmentally conscious policies are left out. Our first-in-the-nation pilot program with Fermata Energy, Enterprise Holdings and Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation (CSNDC) will bring low-income communities into the electric vehicle (EV) transition.

The pilot pairs vehicle-to-grid (V2G) bidirectional charging with the Nissan LEAF EV to tap into the car’s battery as an alternative, clean energy source for CSNDC’s Girls Latin Apartments, an affordable housing complex in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

The V2G pilot enables a resident of the apartment building to utilize the vehicle on a month-by-month basis with a low-cost rental. The driver is able to use the car freely except during limited summer hours when it must be plugged in to the charger to support peak power demands, like on hot afternoons when building cooling systems are running. The pilot earns roughly $3,000 per year from local utility company Eversource through its Connected Solutions Demand Response program.

The transition to electric vehicles has largely bypassed low-income communities thus far, many of which are more likely to experience the negative effects of climate change. By lowering the costs of an EV for a driver and eliminating the costs for affordable housing developments to host charging infrastructure, the pilot aims to increase the use of electric vehicles in environmental justice communities. 

Solar Projects

We’ve seen the transformative power of clean, affordable energy since our first pioneering solar installation for Boston-area affordable housing developments launched in 2007. We’ve brought solar’s environmental and financial benefits to dozens more communities since. The highlights of our progress to date:

• Our roof-top solar installations stabilize and lower electricity costs by 30% for 28 affordable housing developments, nonprofits and municipal facilities
• Our two shared solar projects cut electricity costs by over 20% and fix costs over the life of the panels for 29 affordable housing developments and nonprofit facilities
• A pilot solar program provides direct solar credits to residents of two affordable housing buildings, cutting electric bills by an average of 50% and eliminating price spikes for 10 years

Beyond reducing electricity costs, through our hands-on solar work we have a clear-eyed view of policy and financing barriers that have limited the use of solar power for low-income communities. We have the practical experience to propose effective policies to overcome those barriers.  For example, as a direct result of our recommendations to reform solar incentives, Massachusetts solar policy now encourages conventional solar developers to serve public housing organizations. Today, solar electricity offsets more than half the electricity costs for the Massachusetts’ state public housing developments, saving 25% on electric bills, providing a hedge against future increases and generating roughly $250 million in savings over the life of the panels.

BlueHub Energy Solar Projects and Community Solar Customers

The map below shows the locations of BlueHub's clean energy projects and customers. BlueHub Energy solar panels generate over 8 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually—enough to power the electricity use of almost 1,100 houses. The greenhouse gas emissions avoided through the use of our solar panels is equal to the amount created by over 1,270 cars driven for one year, or a total of nearly 15 million miles. Read more about each project below. 

All Current and Historic Solar Projects

Influencing Policy

We believe that successful policy emerges from real-world practice and we are committed to use our experience to shape effective policies that serve low-income communities. For example, through our solar work, we recognized that solar incentive programs were focused on rooftop solar systems, primarily for homeowners who could take advantage of federal income tax incentives. This leaves out households who do not have a federal income tax liability and those, such as tenants, who cannot put solar on their own roofs; both groups are disproportionately low-income residents.  In response, we created a pilot community solar project that eliminates complex tax and financing requirements and provides savings for low-income households who could not otherwise access solar power.   

In 2021, we celebrated years of clean energy advocacy when Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a landmark climate bill. The new law, which is based on our pilot, removes barriers to affordable solar energy for low-income households and invites people of all incomes to be part of the solution.

We advocate tirelessly for policies that both solve the energy problems facing low-income households and help spawn new green markets. Our community solar pilot and our advocacy work around the Massachusetts climate bill establishes a model that we are sharing with our CDFI peers and low-income solar advocates around the country and elements of our pilot have been included in pending federal climate legislation.

What drives us? Our steadfast belief that the communities we serve not only stand to benefit the most but have the potential to lead every community toward a more sustainable future.

Consulting

We build on our expertise in solar power to bring the benefits of sustainability to affordable housing and nonprofit facilities by:

• Investing in green technologies like WegoWise utility tracking software for multi-tenant buildings
• Exploring healthier and more cost-effective building materials
• Developing pilots for emerging new energy markets

The goal is better buildings—cheaper to operate, easier to manage, healthier to live in and a source of pride for the people who live in and around them.

Our clean energy impact