Central Valley Habitat for Humanity shares its solar energy model across the state

Central Valley Habitat for Humanity and GiveSolar will present a one-hour workshop on Friday to staff members of Habitat for Humanity affiliates around Virginia.

The workshop, which begins at 11 a.m., will address the benefits of solar energy for Habitat homeowners as well as the Solar Seed Fund model used by the local Habitat affiliate to make solar systems possible on their new builds.

After the workshop, local volunteers will participate in a solar barn-raising to install 24 solar panels on the roof of the Habitat duplex at 660 Virginia Ave. in Harrisonburg.

GiveSolar partners with Green Hill Solar, a Harrisonburg-based solar installation company, to install the systems on Habitat homes.

Central Valley Habitat for Humanity teamed up with local non-profit, GiveSolar, last October to create a model for funding and installing solar panels on newly built Habitat homes.  Now they are sharing their knowledge with other Habitat affiliates around Virginia.

This past February, the Central Valley Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors ​voted to support the effort to raise $100,000 for the Solar Seed Fund in the next year. When fully funded, the Solar Seed Fund will provide upfront funding to pay for the installation of 4 kilowatt-12 solar panel systems on newly built Habitat homes in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

The Solar Seed Fund will make it possible to install 20 solar systems on Habitat homes in the next five years.

The fund is currently at $37,043. On June 6, an anonymous donor committed to matching all donations made after June 6 up to $40,000 to assist in reaching the final goal. Donations to the Solar Seed Fund can be made at: tinyurl.com/y2f9xv2w

Solar will allow Habitat homeowners to save $40-$50 each month on their electricity bills by generating their own electricity. After paying $20 monthly to repay the cost of the solar system, homeowners will experience a net savings of $20 – $30 per month.

*Central Valley Habitat for Humanity is a local non-profit that partners with low-income families in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County to build safe, decent, and affordable housing. Their program works with individuals that may not qualify to become homeowners through a conventional mortgage or that live in substandard housing.

GiveSolar’s mission is to assist homeowners with low income and non-profits to gain access to solar energy through organizing crowdfunding campaigns and solar barn-raisings.

Since 2016, GiveSolar has partnered with other solar advocates to add 299 kilowatts of solar power to the local electric grid.