On Wednesday, July 23, the Near East Side community celebrated the installation of solar panels on 10 homes.Â
This is the first residential installation by Impact Solar – a collaboration between the Columbus Partnership’s Clean Energy Ventures and Community Renewable Energy– which until now has been focused on solar primarily for nonprofits.
The pilot program aims to build community wealth while making Columbus a cleaner place to live. It is estimated that the homeowners will save an estimated $26,000 on their electric bill over the 30 year life of the panels. For the first six years of the program, Clean Energy Ventures owns the panels and the homeowners pay a reduced electricity rate. After those six years, the homeowner owns the panels, and enjoys the energy completely free.
At the event, homeowner Tina Martin said she hopes that the installation will reduce energy costs for her family of four.Â
In total, the 10 solar installations will offset 2,159 US tons of Carbon Dioxide. Â
The Impact Solar team partnered with PACT, a Near East Side-based community nonprofit to implement the pilot. The program was championed by Fifth Third Bank as a part of its longstanding investment in the Near East Side, and the Columbus Green Fund provided additional funding support. Together, the team is now preparing to incorporate best practices and lessons learned to scale the program into a second phase.
After the event, elected officials, project partners, and neighbors of the project gathered at the Community Renewable Energy office down the street for a reception.Â
See interviews from the partners and video footage of the installations in the local news coverage below.Â
Read:Â
Columbus Dispatch: Columbus leaders invest in solar pilot on Near East Side as federal dollars in jeopardy
Watch:
WBNS-TV: Columbus residents celebrate solar program’s financial relief: ‘I was thinking about the savings’
WBNS-TV: Solar pilot program brings energy relief to Near East Side homeowners
WCMH-TV: Helping Columbus neighborhoods go green, save money
