San Francisco nonprofit RE-volv has partnered with Trisolaris to bring solar to countless U.S. nonprofits by 2021. Community-serving nonprofits such as schools, homeless shelters and places of worship will now have access to a brand new solar Power Purchase Agreement offering from RE-volv. Nonprofits that normally possess obstacles obtaining solar financing will now be able to go solar with no up-front expenses and potentially save 15% or more on day one.
“This partnership will allow for a quick growth of solar to small and medium-sized nonprofits across the country by combining the area expertise of RE-volv, with the monetary investment ability of Trisolaris,” says Andreas Karelas, RE-volv founder and executive director.
1.5 million nonprofits in the U.S. now have barriers to solar financing since they do not have the capability to maintain federal and local tax credits. The new venture will enable nonprofits to easily make the most of the cost-saving benefits of solar energy by means of a Power Purchase Agreement with Trisolaris.
PPAs let a taxpaying entity such as Trisolaris to pay for the upfront system costs and utilize the federal solar tax credits. Then they sell the electricity, in this case, to the nonprofit. The nonprofits then reap the benefits of solar by paying no upfront costs and locking in a reduced long-term fixed electricity rate — since the PPA contract isn’t subject to utility rate increases.
“As the urgency to decarbonize our world increases, so will our fix to set up more solar to the communities that need it most. From the capacity to hand out more vegetables at a food pantry to supplying new learning provides in an abysmal app — solar empowers nonprofits to enable more community members,” said Michael Ferrante, Trisolaris CEO.
In order to bring solar to more nonprofits, RE-volv trains school students and volunteers across the nation to identify nonprofits in their own communities and talk to them about the advantages of going solar. The Solar Ambassador Program provides valuable career skills while coaching tomorrow’s clean energy leaders. More than 120 pupils from 12 universities in eleven states are Solar Ambassador College Fellows from the program this school year. Anyone in the country may also volunteer as a Solar Ambassador Community Champion and bring solar to a nonprofit near them.
Up to now, RE-volv has signed solar leases with 25 nonprofits in 8 nations, accounting for 316 kW of installed capacity. RE-volv is presently accepting applications to go solar out of nonprofits anywhere in the country.
