The Brookings Institution

This 62.275kW grid-tied solar system was divided into two buildings located at 1755 & 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW. Each building is individually metered so each have their own respective net-metered 39.96kW and 23.49kW systems. Both buildings have a flat roof, typical of many commercial buildings in the District. These require a low or no penetration racking system as water build-up is common on areas that have no slope. For this application, SES utilized a ballast mounted system where the weight of the modules and racking, along with concrete ballast blocks ensure adequate attachment, as well as wind uplift/snow loading as per DCRA. Aside from some HVAC equipment and other minor obstructions to design around, the roof areas themselves had good solar accessibility both in terms of module placement and lack of shading.