Submitted by Homes First
In 2020, thanks to a partnership with Olympia Community Solar and Puget Sound Energy, Homes First was able to place solar panels on two of our shared homes for adults with developmental disabilities and participate in the community solar project at Hands on Children’s Museum. In 2021, the Homes First team is excited to announce that we are participants in the Sunflower Community Solar Project at the Olympia Farmers Market! We are also adding two more solar panels to our homes.
Community solar projects expand solar to those who can’t access residential solar – people who don’t own their home, have an unsuitable roof or property for solar, or who face financial barriers! A group of community members participate in a single solar project and share its benefits. The Olympia Farmers Market is a treasure of our community and a central place to gather – it is an ideal location for a beautiful community solar array.
The Sunflower Project will include 200 Washington made solar panels right above the entrance of the Market. South Sound Solar will design and install the 75 kilowatt system that will produce enough energy to power the entire Market. The project is available for community ownership in the form of solar units. Solar units represent about half of one of Sunflower’s solar panels.
If, like us, you believe everyone in our community should have access to renewable power sources, please consider donating a solar unit to our nonprofit. Homes First will receive an annual payment for the value of the unit’s generation.
We are proud to be a partner in the Sunflower project that will bring long-term energy cost savings to the Market, significantly reduce pollution, and provide educational opportunities for all the Market’s visitors! Sunflowers are heliotropic, meaning they turn their blossoms to face the sun. With this solar project the Farmers Market is turning towards a clean energy future!
“The Olympia Farmers Market is excited to incorporate solar energy into the daily function of our organization. We are consistently searching for opportunities to benefit our community and this includes environmental consciousness. We hope to be an example of progress by taking steps to decrease our carbon footprint so we can give more to the people of the South Puget Sound. I am confident Olympia Community Solar and our selected contractor, South Sound Solar, will provide the Market pavilion with a well-crafted array of panels for all to enjoy in the decades to come,” says Brett Warwick, Director of Operations at Olympia Farmers Market.
The public can support the project by purchasing or donating solar units. Learn more at Sunflower Project website.
