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The Sisters of Charity of New York, a Catholic mission group active in healthcare and affordable housing work in the state, has turned to solar power to lower energy costs for elderly residents of a Staten Island housing complex, according to Solar Power World. The project, reported by the publication on October 5, 2026, paired the mission group with the PV consultancy Crauderueff Solar to design a system that fits within the tight financial margins typical of rent-stabilized housing.
The resulting installation consists of two distinct arrays: one located behind the meter and the other in front of it, with one operating as a net-metered system and the other structured as a community solar project. The system size is 279 kW.
Xiomara Pedraza of the Sisters of Charity said part of the organization’s mission involved recognizing environmental realities and decarbonizing its portfolio, with renewable energy forming part of that strategy. She noted that in affordable housing, utility expenses are kept as low as possible because margins are slim, and that keeping cost pressures down helps the housing operate efficiently and remain affordable.
Rob Crauderueff, chief executive and founder of Crauderueff Solar, described his firm as a technical assistance provider that partners with organizations such as the Sisters of Charity. He said a notable aspect of the work was implementing a model in which the mission group could participate on multiple sides of a deal, serving as off-taker, leaseholder and property owner of the power purchase agreement while also generating its own income, which he characterized as potentially powerful for not-for-profits.
According to Pedraza, the Sisters of Charity established a third-party entity called Charity Solar to own the systems. She explained that a non-profit subsidiary owns the system while the building owner remains separate, which removes liability and other risks from the building itself and also provides an income source that supports non-profit sustainability.
Crauderueff said the project captured both federal and state incentives, with different values and qualification requirements for the behind-the-meter and front-of-the-meter portions. He noted that a federal bonus tax credit provided a 20 percent bonus for both portions, making them 50 percent tax credit projects overall, and that direct pay allowed the not-for-profit to capitalize and monetize those benefits.
He also said New York’s solar grant program provided an incentive of $1.60 per watt for behind-the-meter projects and $2 per watt for affordable housing, and that stacking different incentives made it possible to optimize the systems in a way that would be more aggressive than a simple net-metered system.
Pedraza said working with the utility company took time, but tenants were expected to begin receiving savings on their bills starting in August 2026, with a 10 percent discount. She added that savings had also been seen on the net solar portion.
Pedraza said Crauderueff introduced the organization to Power Market, which manages subscriptions, and that an outreach campaign in the fall produced more subscriptions than expected. Of the 75 units in the building, more than 50 tenants subscribed, reflecting significant interest.
Crauderueff said the collaboration demonstrates how a solar consultancy and a housing not-for-profit can combine expertise to build capacity and establish organizational and financial frameworks. He noted that the solar side involves building permits, interconnection, community solar and subscriptions, while the affordable housing side involves different agencies and requirements, making the merging of the two worlds important.
Pedraza said affordable housing is complicated on its own and that adding solar introduces another layer of complexity that can be difficult for organizations to navigate alone. She said the guidance from Crauderueff’s team was helpful and that each project builds familiarity with different systems, what to look for and what questions to ask contractors, with lessons carried forward to other projects.
Pedraza said the work aligns with the organization’s mission and with New York policy generally, including in affordable housing. She noted that physical assessments are often needed to determine whether solar is feasible, and that this project was able to go further on the community solar portion because agencies typically want common area usage covered but not more. She said the organization has another project underway in Rockland County, where state grant money was obtained because the area has experienced power outages from storms and hurricanes, allowing solar and a backup battery to be installed on the property.
Interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report.
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