We are very excited to announce that we’ve been selected as a recipient of the SunForAll Solar Fund. This funding will allow San Diego Habitat to move forward with our new photovoltaic solar system, which will generate an estimated 96kW of energy. Going solar means that we will be able to lower our operating costs while having a lasting impact on our community and the environment!
SunForAll is a unique solar financing program for nonprofits created by CollectiveSun with lead investor BQuest Foundation, and other impact investors. SunForAll makes going solar easy and affordable with an innovative investment structure consisting of a hybrid grant and low interest loan to fund 100% of the up-front costs of non-profit solar installations, including ours!
We have, for years, made environmental responsibility and sustainability an organizational priority. For our homeowners, energy efficiency is a path of financial stability. We build all new homes to Energy Star 3 Certification standards at minimum, and all landscaping is drought resistant. We also partner with GRID Alternatives to make sure Habitat Homeowners receive free or affordable solar on their homes after they move in.
The solar panel installation is projected to save San Diego Habitat an estimated $13,000 in energy costs annually/over the lifetime of the system. We have chosen GRID Alternatives to build the system and will be working with CollectiveSun to complete funding for the project and navigate the remainder of the process.
When we purchased the site in Kearny Mesa for our administrative headquarters and flagship ReStore in 2017, we did so with the plan to eventually install solar panels to reduce energy costs and operate in a more efficient and responsible way. We know that the use of solar energy will be much more cost-effective for our organization, ultimately enabling us to put more resources into homebuilding and repair programs.
