Many MindedA fireproofed 3.75 MWh battery goes into Buffalo affordable apartments
A 3.75 MWh lithium-ion battery system has been installed at Peace Bridge Place, an affordable housing complex in Buffalo, New York. Manufacturer Viridi and developer Good Carbon Co. announced it in late October 2026. They describe it as among the largest battery systems in a U.S. residential building, able to run the complex for several days. Renters there earn no more than 80% of area median income, and the building is all-electric with geothermal heating and cooling.
The building will draw on the battery when grid demand and prices are high, and the utility is to pay it for not pulling from the grid and for sending power back when needed. National Grid supported the project because local demand can exceed available supply. The battery can also keep the building running in an outage. NYSERDA helped fund it.
The notable part is the safety engineering. Viridi says it spent six years and $10 million on a fireproof container, with about half that cost going to batteries destroyed in testing. Each cell is isolated so a failing cell's energy dissipates, and no gas, smoke, heat or fire leaves the box. In one test, cheesecloth over the container neither charred nor ignited, according to the test report. In April 2026 Viridi said it met Underwriters Laboratories standards allowing indoor installation without extra building fire suppression.
Why it matters: fire codes and insurance worries are a major barrier to putting storage inside buildings. If this design holds up, storage could pay for itself in dense housing, lowering bills and keeping power on during outages for residents who can least afford disruption.
The caveats are real. The safety claims come largely from the company and its supporters, and the reporting cites no independent long-term field data. Some communities have opposed battery projects after large fires. Watch for operating results from Buffalo and whether insurers and code officials accept the standard elsewhere.
Source: Google News