Charlottesville, VA – Friday, March 10 – Habitat for Humanity Virginia and GiveSolar announce the launch of a two-year project to install up to 80 solar energy systems on Habitat for Humanity homes across Virginia and Washington DC. The project launched on March 1, 2023.
The two year project was made possible by a donation of $500,000 from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). “The AIA donation was critical for launching this project”, Jeff Heie, Director of GiveSolar. AIA made the donation in order to meet their goal to offset the embodied carbon emissions resulting from the AIA Headquarters renewal project in Washington DC.
GiveSolar and Habitat Virginia have partnered with regional solar installers around the state to carry out the solar installations on Habitat homes. These partners include Green Hill Solar (Harrisonburg); Convert Solar (Virginia Beach and Richmond); Tiger Solar (Charlottesville and Staunton); Affordable Energy Concepts (Lynchburg); and Baseline Solar (Blacksburg).
A 2022 study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that the median income for U.S. households that installed solar in 2021 was $110,000. Comparatively, the 2021 median household income of all homeowners in the U.S. was $79,000. According to the US Census, the median household income in Virginia was $80,615 in 2021 dollars (for 2017 to 2021). Most Habitat households in Virginia earn less than $45,000.
“We are working to develop a sustainable model of installing solar on all Habitat homes in Virginia that have an appropriate roof for solar. This is a challenging problem to solve and requires innovative approaches to making solar more affordable for households with low income. By the end of this two year project, we hope to have a robust model for the future.” -Overton McGehee, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Virginia.
“At Tiger Solar, we are passionate about helping all homeowners in our communities have access to alternative energy solutions,” said Russ Edwards, President of Tiger Solar. “Our local teams in Central Virginia are excited to have the opportunity to work with Habitat for Humanity Virginia to create a sustainable way to offset our fellow Virginian’s ongoing power costs.”
A 5 kilowatt solar system (which consists of 12 to 14 solar panels) saves a Habitat household an average of $65 to $75 permonth on their electric bill. In many Virginia regions, customers have faced a 30% rise in the cost of electricity over the last two years due, in large part, to the rising cost of fossil fuels used to generate electricity. Solar systems will protect Habitat families from this electricity rate inflation for the next 25 to 30 years, the expected lifespan of a solar system.
The first solar installation using the AIA donation took place on February 24, 2023 in Warrenton, Virginia. A 5.04 kilowatt solar system was installed on a home that was recently constructed by Fauquier Habitat for Humanity. High school students from Flint Hill School in Oakton, VA volunteered to help lift the solar panels up to the roof. A professional crew of solar installers from Virtue Solar, a full service solar company based in Charlottesville, worked with the high school students to complete the solar installation. (Photos available upon request.)
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Habitat for Humanity Virginia is the affiliate support organization for the 39 Habitat for Humanity affiliates that operate in Virginia and Washington DC. Habitat affiliates also operate across the US and worldwide, building quality, affordable homes and selling those homes to families who would otherwise not be able to afford the purchase of a home. All familiesserved by Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Virginia earn less than 80% of Area Median Income (AMI); most earn 25-60% of AMI.
GiveSolar is a non-profit social impact organization that assists homeowners with low income and non-profit organizations in gaining access to solar energy. GiveSolar launched a partnership with Habitat for Humanity in 2020 through a pilot project with Central Valley Habitat for Humanity in Bridgewater, VA. Since December of 2021, GiveSolar has been working with interested Habitat affiliates across Virginia to carry out solar pilot projects.
Tiger Solar strives to educate, empower and help our customers find the best clean energy solution. We do everything in-house, from sales, financing and design to installation, monitoring and service. With over 17 years of experience, our team of local professionals is here for you every step of the way through your residential or commercial solar installation.
Press Contacts:
• Habitat for Humanity Virginia: Overton McGehee, (804) 929-8436, omcgehee@habitatvirginia.org
• GiveSolar: Jeff Heie, (540) 656-6841, jeffheie@gmail.com
• Tiger Solar: Russ Edwards, (434) 882-1781, edwardsr@tigersolar.com