Atlanta Launches One of Southeast’s First Community-Owned Resilience Hubs

Representatives from Groundswell, Community Church Atlanta, Stryten Energy, InterUrban Solar, the City of Atlanta, the Wells Fargo Foundation, and others gathered on Tuesday to celebrate the construction launch of a game-changing solar project. ● Photo Credit: Groundswell

ATLANTA, May 2, 2024 (VSNewsNetwork.com) - The Vicars Community Center at Community Church Atlanta marked a significant milestone with the construction launch of one of the Southeast’s first community-owned resilience hubs. This initiative is a collaborative effort involving Groundswell, Community Church Atlanta, Stryten Energy, InterUrban Solar, the City of Atlanta, the Wells Fargo Foundation, and GM.

The resilience hub features a 34.1 kW DC solar installation complemented by 320 kWh of battery storage. It is designed to serve as a safe gathering place for the community in the aftermath of emergencies or severe weather events, facilitating effective recovery. Additionally, the hub supports the ongoing community services of the Church, which include providing weekly meals to 300-400 families and hosting local organizations.

Groundswell has spearheaded the development of the hub, focusing on creating a reliable power source for essential devices, preserving temperature-sensitive medications, and maintaining communications during emergencies. This project not only aims to address the immediate needs of the community but also prepares for the broader impacts of climate change.

The resilience hub at the Community Church is set to be community-owned, with financial backing from the GM Foundation, Stryten Energy, and leveraging the direct pay solar tax credit provision of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Stryten Energy is tasked with designing, manufacturing, and installing the battery system that will enable the hub to offer three days of critical power support during outages.

The Wells Fargo Foundation continues to play a crucial role in advancing community ownership of such resilience hubs through its partnership with Groundswell. This collaboration aims to implement a financial model that utilizes the IRA's provisions to ensure community ownership.

InterUrban Solar, in partnership with SunCatch Energy, leads the engineering, procurement, and construction aspects of the project, ensuring that all technical specifications meet the required standards for efficiency and reliability.

For additional information about this innovative community project, visit www.groundswell.org.

Source: Groundswell, Inc. via Newswire