WaterFire Providence is an independent, 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization with a mission to inspire Rhode Island and its visitors by revitalizing the urban experience, fostering community engagement, and creatively transforming Providence through the presentation of WaterFire, a public art installation, celebrating its 30th anniversary, featuring 90 fire pits floating on the rivers of downtown Providence, attracting one million visitors annually. In 2017, WaterFire Providence opened the WaterFire Arts Center, transforming a derelict industrial building into a multi-purpose arts venue in the Valley Arts District. This center has become an anchor institution, hosting a range of exhibitions and welcoming 40,000 visitors in 2023 alone. With 37,000 square feet of space and forty-foot ceilings, it is one of the largest exhibition spaces in New England, offering free access to world-class art for underserved and underrepresented groups.

As part of its commitment to sustainability and climate action, WaterFire Providence is undertaking a comprehensive solar energy integration project at the WaterFire Arts Center. This initiative includes the installation of a roof-mounted, net-metered solar PV system, estimated at 150 kW DC, comprising 350 solar panels to generate approximately 204,077 kWh annually. This system will offset an estimated 86 percent of the center's current electricity use. Supplemented by remote net-metering contracts, the project will enable the WaterFire Arts Center to meet its entire energy needs with 100 percent renewable energy. The transition to clean energy is expected to save over $54,000 annually and more than $1.3 million over the project's lifetime, with 10 percent of these savings reinvested in further sustainability efforts each year. The project exemplifies WaterFire Providence's commitment to sustainability and community transformation, positioning the WaterFire Arts Center as a leading hub for green initiatives and setting a benchmark for similar projects in the region.