The Issue
Following Superstorm Sandy, buildings within Red Hook Houses, a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) public housing development, were afflicted by prolonged power outages. Lack of light in the stairwells created a safety issue for residents. The provision of a resilient
lighting source in shared spaces at Red Hook Houses during and after an emergency would support both safe evacuation and returning to life as normal.
The Solution
This project seeks to purchase and install solar panels and back-up batteries on the roofs of Red Hook Houses residential buildings thereby providing an alternative power source for the stairwell lights in the event of a power outage. Phase I of this project would provide Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to establish a pilot in two or three typical buildings in Red Hook Houses. Pending successful implementation of Phase I, it is recommended that funding be secured for Phase II, which would include expansion of the pilot to all 30 buildings in Red Hook Houses.
RRH Action
Resilient Red Hook is actively engaging around a low-carbon future for Red Hook, coordinated with back-up power for safety. There is currently action being taken by NYCHA to further explore the roofscapes of housing developments to install solar arrays. RRH is excited to potentially partner with solar companies to help realize this on NYCHA Red Hook East and West properties.
Links :
+ Access Solar, NYCHA