RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good program has awarded over $150,000 in cash grants and solar panels to Wisconsin nonprofits for installing on-site solar energy systems. Sixteen organizations will install 787 kilowatts of clean, renewable electricity leading to nearly $2 million in renewable energy investments in Wisconsin.
The following organizations have been offered Spring 2021 Solar for Good grants to install new solar electric systems:
- American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation- athletics, Hayward
- Ashland Area Development Corporation – human services, Ashland
- Edward Demmer Memorial Library – education, Three Lakes
- First Congregational Church UCC – religious, Wisconsin Rapids
- First Congregational United Church of Christ – religious, Madison
- Friends of Sauk Prairie Parks and Recreation – athletics, Sauk City
- Friends of the Pavilion – education, Egg Harbor
- Madison Monthly Meeting (Quakers) – religious, Madison
- Neshkoro Area Fire Protection District – public safety, Neshkoro
- North Central Conservancy Trust – conservation, Stevens Point
- Peace Lutheran Church – religious, Poplar
- Sheboygan Senior Community – human services, Sheboygan
- St. Francis of Assisi Church – religious, Milwaukee
- Visit Sheboygan STEAM – education, Sheboygan
- Woodland Boys and Girls Club – education and human services, Neopit
One organization has asked to remain anonymous at this time.
This group of grant recipients represents a wide variety of nonprofits from across the state. The Woodland Boys and Girls Club will install a 20-kilowatt array on the Menominee Reservation to teach youth about renewable energy. One hundred fifty-three solar panels will be installed on the roof of First Congregational UCC in Madison, which sits directly across the street from the Wisconsin Energy Institute. And two solar arrays will be installed for facilities and equipment used by the American Birkebeiner ski race.
“We are committed to utilizing renewable energy and are extremely excited to get this opportunity to install solar as part of our Birke Green initiative,” said Jim Sokup, Director of Operations for the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation. “The use of solar to power the American Birkebeiner has been a dream that is now becoming a reality with help from Solar for Good.”
As part of receiving a grant, each organization agrees to highlight their solar project and provide education to their community about the benefits of solar energy.
“Shifting towards renewable energy underscores our mission, and we hope our example will inspire others to do the same,” said Chris Radford, Director of North Central Conservancy Trust. “The Solar for Good grant helped us reach our fundraising goal to make the solar installation possible.”
The 16 nonprofit organizations are a part of Solar for Good’s 8th round of funding. Since its inception in 2017, Solar for Good has offered solar grants to 108 Wisconsin-based nonprofits.
When all Solar for Good projects are energized, these nonprofits will add over 4.6 megawatts of renewable energy to Wisconsin’s electric mix, enough to power over 900 homes. Solar for Good grants have led to 107 new solar projects and over $10 million in renewable energy investments for Wisconsin nonprofits.
