Submitted by Homes First
Homes First is excited to join the Hummingbird Community Solar project! For many years, it has been a goal to solar panel our homes in order to further reduce the cost of maintaining a safe and healthy home for our tenants. This new initiative is another reason to celebrate during the Homes First 30th Anniversary!
The Hummingbird Project is a 100 kW community solar system atop the Hands on Children’s Museum in Olympia. The project will feature 297 solar panels, online production tracking that shows how much energy the system is generating, and an educational display for the museum visitors!
Additionally, Homes First’s is partnering with Community Solar and Puget Sound Energy to install solar panels on the roofs of many of the 47 properties in the Homes First portfolio. The first two panels are being installed with help from a grant from PSE. Homes First will be apply for other local and state-wide funds to continue to fulfill their dream of not only providing safe and healthy homes everyone can afford but to also reduce energy costs and protect the environment. The installation of the first panels, currently underway, will significantly reduce pollution, and bring long-term energy cost savings to two shared Homes First homes for adults with developmental disabilities.
Ownership of the Hummingbird project is publicly available in $300 solar units. Each solar unit represents ⅓ of a solar panel and there are 800 units in total in the entire community-wide project. Please support Homes First by donating a solar unit through Olympia Community Solar’s webpage.
