New Columbia Solar partnered with Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington D.C. to bring renewable energy to their National Historic Landmark building at 700 F St. NW in Penn Quarter with the addition of a 265 kW rooftop solar system. This partnership highlights Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ commitment to clean energy and sets a precedent for the modernization of historic buildings across the District with solar power.

Constructed as the nation’s first General Post Office in 1842, the building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1971. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants utilized its expertise in the area of adaptive reuse to create the award-winning, luxury hotel from a relic 19th century government building. The boutique hospitality company worked with Oerhlein & Associates Architects and Heritage Consulting throughout the rehabilitation process to carefully restore the property and open as the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington DC in 2002.

With the addition of more than 590 solar panels, the 184-room hotel will generate more than 316,000 kilowatt-hours of on-site energy per year, and nearly 7 million kilowatt-hours over the system’s expected 20+ years of operation. Throughout this project’s development, it was important to create a minimal-impact design to preserve the historic structure, including the use of non-penetrative racking attachments, and to ensure all equipment remained out of public view so as to not disturb the guest experience.