This is the future of the grid happening right here in Vermont
Imagine living in a home that’s all-electric, fossil fuel-free, and is fully storm-resilient. That’s the reality for the 155 families who will move to Hillside East in South Burlington, Vermont. This is a first for that state– a whole neighborhood that is resistant to power outages thanks to a Resiliency Package of in-home Tesla Powerwall batteries for seamless backup power, rooftop solar panels to recharge, and extend the batteries’ backup capability, and a neighborhood microgrid for extra backup power as needed.
O’Brien Brothers, a Vermont-grown property development company for over six decades, turned to Green Mountain Power when planning the second phase of its popular Hillside at O’Brien Farm community in South Burlington. O’Brien Brothers’ CEO Evan Langfeldt said. “The energy efficiency measures, solar power generation, and battery storage capacity will all work together to significantly decrease homeowners’ carbon footprints, strengthen the overall power grid, and help Vermont move towards its climate goals, all while providing housing to 155 families. This is a win-win-win for all of us.”
This phase of the O’Brien community, called Hillside East, will have zero fossil fuel infrastructure (no gas lines or fuel tanks), and all of the electric lines will be underground for extra protection from severe weather.
Homeowners have protection from outages, and they will experience green living and being part of the solution to climate change. In addition to the Resiliency Package of home batteries and solar panels to extend their power by recharging, the all-electric homes will include ducted heat pumps, Level 2 EV chargers, and Span Smart Panels, which provide homeowners with easy control of electric loads to optimize their energy use and backup power.
All other Green Mountain Power customers will benefit, too. The energy sharing from the batteries will help reduce costs during energy peaks, like heat waves. And – the increased use of electricity in the neighborhood will help reduce per-unit power costs. Plus – this neighborhood will serve as a model for how a community can go all-electric and benefit the grid at the same time, all while providing resiliency during damaging storms.
The neighborhood will be a mix of single- and multi-family homes, including some permanently affordable homes. The first homes will be ready for occupancy in the fall of 2023.
“This is the future of the grid happening right here in Vermont. Our customer programs for energy storage, heat pumps, discount EV charging, and smart panels are pulled together to bring real resilience to this community, decentralizing the grid and lowering costs for all customers. Devastating climate impacts are here, and we must move quickly to use this innovative model to bring solutions to Vermonters all over the state,” said Mari McClure, GMP’s president and CEO.
For more info: https://greenmountainpower.com/news/resilient-neighborhood/
