A 3.75 MWh indoor battery system at Peace Bridge Place, a 105-unit affordable housing building in Buffalo, NY, won the 2026 Fortnightly Top Innovator of the Year award. The project, a collaboration between Viridi, Good Carbon Co., and National Grid, uses the battery to cut peak demand and let the building respond to grid dispatch signals during peak events. It is part of a National Grid pilot supported by NYSERDA. The battery uses fail-safe technology that passed UL 9540A testing with no cell-to-cell propagation. During demand response events, the building can temporarily supply power back to the local grid, which helps utilities manage load without building new infrastructure. The project also includes geothermal heating, envelope upgrades, and other efficiency measures, showing how affordable housing can lower operating costs while supporting grid reliability.
