Yaddo

Saratoga Springs, NY

Founded in 1900, Yaddo is a renowned nonprofit artist's community nestled on a 400-acre estate in Saratoga Springs. Its mission is to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment. Yaddo has supported generations of visual artists, painters, sculptors, photographers, and multimedia creators, providing time, space, financial aid, and resources to develop their work. Yaddo is working toward becoming carbon neutral by 2035.

Building on this mission, Yaddo's Clean Energy Initiative seeks to revolutionize how the 36,500-square-foot historic mansion's core spaces are climate-controlled. A 2024 FCI Scoping Grant supported a feasibility study which explored the possibility of a solar array and identified opportunities to reduce energy consumption and fossil fuel reliance. A subsequent 2025 FCI Implementation Grant supported replacement of the aging fossil-fuel boiler with a modern Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system that delivers both heating and cooling. The VRF system provides individual climate control for different areas, increasing comfort for the artists and reducing wasteful energy use. It is also quieter, more flexible, and scalable, ensuring long-term efficiency.

A 2026 FCI Implementation Grant will support a campus-wide electrical service expansion from 400 to 800 amps, transformer replacement, and standby generator installation to support electrification across the historic National Landmark artists' residency. The infrastructure upgrades are expected to reduce annual GHG emissions by more than 36 percent by early 2027.