“Solar for Good” Program Assists 12 More Wisconsin Nonprofits with Solar Panels
This round featured a change in the program – instead of a cash grant, these nonprofits will receive donated solar panels.
Solar for Good. Photo courtesy of RENEW Wisconsin.
Twelve Wisconsin nonprofits will receive grants to install 17 new solar electric systems through RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good program. These grants will total over $100,000 and will lead to more than $800,000 in new solar investment. The new solar arrays, planned for installation over the next year, will add 322 kilowatts of new solar power to Wisconsin.
This round of Solar for Good funding features a diverse group of awardees from across Wisconsin. The winning projects include:
- Northwoods Humane Society in Hayward will install a solar array near its “bark park” to offset electricity and educate the public about solar energy.
- Sawyer County Nonprofit Housing Development will install solar arrays on 6 multi-family, affordable housing facilities, which will directly offset their residents’ utility bills
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum which currently hosts an outdated solar thermal system, will install a new solar array capable of offsetting nearly 80% of the electricity used by the Arboretum’s Visitor Center.
Solar for Good’s Spring 2019 funding cycle continues the program’s outstanding success. Since it began in 2017, and including this latest round, 79 new solar projects have been allocated solar grants across Wisconsin. In total, these projects will generate nearly $7 million in solar investment and total over 3,000 kilowatts of renewable energy, enough to power over 600 average-sized households.
“Solar power is a win-win-win for our state,” said Sam Dunaiski, Program Manager for RENEW Wisconsin. “It’s homegrown energy, it creates jobs, and it’s cost-effective. Everyone in Wisconsin should be able to take advantage of this technology, especially nonprofit organizations.”
This round featured a change in the program – instead of a cash grant, these nonprofits will receive donated solar panels.
The following organizations have been offered Solar for Good grants to install new solar electric systems:
Aspirus – Family Housing Project, not-for-profit healthcare provider, Wausau
Madison Audubon Society, wildlife habitat protection, education, & advocacy, Madison
Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, affordable housing provider, Milwaukee
Northwest Side Community Development Corporation, community economic development organization, Milwaukee
Northwoods Humane Society, safe haven for stray/unwanted animals, Hayward
Nourish Farms, provides sustainable food access and education programs, Sheboygan
Sawyer County Housing Authority, affordable housing provider, Sawyer County (installing solar on 6 housing facilities)
St. Thomas Aquinas, house of worship, Madison
Sugar River United Methodist, house of worship, Verona
University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, forest and land conservation, Madison
Victory Garden Initiative, provides equitable and nutritious food systems, Milwaukee
YMCA of the Fox Cities, outdoor retreat and education, Lakewood
The Solar for Good program is primarily funded by philanthropists Cal and Laurie Coulliard of Deerfield. Solar for Good is now providing grants of solar panels up to an equivalent value of 20% of an organization’s solar installation cost. RENEW plans to issue another round of Solar for Good grant funding in Fall 2019. To learn more, please visit the Solar for Good website.
About RENEW Wisconsin
RENEW Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization which promotes renewable energy in Wisconsin. We work on policies and programs that support solar power, wind power, biogas, local hydropower, geothermal energy, and electric vehicles. More information on RENEW’s website: www.renewwisconsin.org.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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