Sustainability and cost savings coming to ECHO
ECHO is a non-profit organization in Janesville, WI that serves area residents with a large food pantry, assistance for those experiencing homelessness, and other services like emergency rent assistance, transportation, basic needs, and seasonal needs such as Thanksgiving baskets and school supplies. Their mission is to meet housing, food, and other basic human needs and address the barriers to self-sufficiency.
They also happen to be the beneficiary of a very generous donation from a local sustainably minded donor who is footing the bill for a big portion of the installation of a solar system for ECHO’s building. The donor just happens to be a customer of Sun Badger Solar who has experienced the difference that solar panels can make and wanted to help a non-profit go solar too.
Solar Savings
ECHO’s 17,000 square-foot building, three walk-in freezers, and seven industrial-sized refrigerators add up to a hefty energy bill each month. They expect to save 72 percent of their utility costs once the switch to solar is finalized. That is money that will go back into services for their clients. ECHO’s Executive Director, Jessica Locher says the money they will save every month will allow ECHO to provide an extra 3,000 meals in the community.
In addition to the donation from the former Sun Badger Solar customer, we are committed to donating 10 percent of the cost of the solar array. ECHO is also benefitting from a Solar for Good grant. Solar for Good, which we recently blogged about, awards grant funding or solar panels to help a non-profit go solar and make the switch to more renewable energy.
Solar for Good has already helped nearly 200 nonprofits save money on their electric bills that they can reinvest in their missions.
But cost savings are only part of the equation.
Environmental Stewardship
Going green will certainly save ECHO money, but it will also help them become more sustainable and less reliant on non-renewable sources of energy. Large facilities like ECHO have significant energy demands and shifting part of those demands to renewable solar energy can have a big impact.
In addition to the benefit specifically for the ECHO facility, the ripple effect that the new solar system may have could grow the environmental impact even more. ECHO will be celebrating the new solar panels with an open house, which provides an opportunity to educate many area homeowners and business owners about the environmental benefits of clean, renewable energy.
ECHO is one of several non-profit organizations that Sun Badger Solar has worked with in the past few years. Each time we work with one of these partners, we are gratified to be able to not only help with the organization’s mission but to also help spread the word about the benefits of solar.
If you are a non-profit organization that wants to understand how solar might work for you and what programs are available to help offset the upfront investment, please contact us.
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