Solar PV Installations
Habitat for Humanity of Macon was recently awarded a $60,000 grant to install solar panels on 5 homes. In collaboration with Mercer University, funds were awarded by the All Points North Foundation to install low-cost grid-tied rooftop solar PV systems at no cost to homeowners.
The PV systems should “offset 80-100 percent of each home’s annual energy needs, saving an estimated 6,400-kilowatt-hours of fossil fuel-sourced electricity, resulting in nearly $1,000 in savings per year for each homeowner.”
The partnership with Mercer University’s Engineering for Development Program will allow students to have exposure to both Habitat for Humanity construction projects as well as the design and installation of solar PV systems.
Improving Energy Security
As part of the U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Program (SEP) grants, Habitat for Humanity in Kentucky recently received $67,000 to improve energy security and “support low-income families through energy efficiency measures including ENERGY star appliance upgrades, Home Energy Rater certification for construction specialists, and Structural Insulated Panel training.”
“We are pleased to announce these new initiatives that provide long-term benefits to the citizens of Kentucky,” said Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman. “Affordable electricity is a primary driver of our economy and essential for the wellbeing of everyone. Now more than ever in this time of the coronavirus pandemic, it is important to ensure continuing affordability and resilience of Kentucky’s energy resources, and to invest in energy education that integrates new technologies and practices in areas that support our infrastructure and families.”
The U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Program is a federal program that provides annual funding to enhance energy security, advance state-led energy initiatives, and maximize the benefits of decreasing energy waste.