NC GreenPower Announces Ten 2020 Solar+ Schools Grant Recipients

June 18, 2020

Contact: Katie Lebrato, Marketing Communications Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RALEIGH, NC – NC GreenPower is pleased to award 10 North Carolina schools each with a grant worth up to $27,000 for the installation of an educational solar photovoltaic (PV) array. Each school will also receive approximately $14,000 in related benefits that include donated SunPower solar modules, a STEM curriculum and teacher training. This is the first time that NC GreenPower is expanding its Solar+ Schools program to 10 schools — each of the previous five years awarded a maximum of five.

The new schools join 32 other grant recipients since the program launched in 2015. NC GreenPower’s Board of Directors’ review committee met this spring to evaluate applications and make selections for 2020’s program.

The 10 schools that accepted the grant are:

Now in Solar+ Schools’ sixth year — — the staff remains optimistic about its future. “This year’s response to our Solar+ Schools program was fantastic, and we are so excited to work in six new counties, with schools from the northeastern and far western parts of our state as well as a school for students with learning differences. By the end of 2020, we will have reached more than 31,000 students across North Carolina, and we look forward to helping educate students about energy with these installations,” said Vicky McCann, vice president of NC GreenPower.

Each school is responsible for raising a portion of the funds required. The selected schools will use NC GreenPower’s fundraising platform to raise their funds by September 30, 2020. Donations as little as $1 can be made to support any campaign. Visit our new fundraising platform for information on how to donate.

The NC GreenPower Solar+ Schools program is open to all public and private K-12 schools in North Carolina. The installed PV systems, which are 3-5 kilowatts, serve as educational tools in the classroom while also providing an energy impact, likely producing enough renewable energy to power a school’s main office. The solar arrays have generated an average of 8,026 kilowatt-hours annually, potentially saving schools up to $800 per year. For updates about the program, visit www.ncgreenpower.org/solar-schools.

NC GreenPower is also pleased to announce that the member-funded State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Foundation is continuing its generous support of Solar+ Schools. The SECU Foundation’s contribution will offer up to $20,000 in additional funding for each of five selected public schools.

“The Solar+ Schools project has been a big hit with participating schools, and they are enjoying the benefits of having a working solar array system on campus,” said Jama Campbell, SECU Foundation Executive Director. “Students and local communities are sharing their excitement about the energy initiative and its impact, and as a result, the program is growing. SECU Foundation has been a Solar+ Schools partner since 2015, and we are proud to continue our support to help NC GreenPower expand its renewable energy program and provide valuable educational and energy saving opportunities for schools throughout the state.”

McCann continued: “We are so grateful to SECU members for their support and look forward to our continued partnership to help improve the environment and support education in our state.”

About NC GreenPower

Formed by Advanced Energy in 2003, NC GreenPower is a nonprofit whose mission is to expand public knowledge and acceptance of cleaner energy technologies to all North Carolinians through local, community-based initiatives.

Since NC GreenPower’s inception, donors have supported more than 1,125 local renewable energy and carbon offset projects, producing 1 billion kilowatt-hours of green energy and mitigating nearly 78,000 tons of greenhouse gases. In 2015, NC GreenPower launched Solar+ Schools to support solar PV installations at K-12 schools. Contributions to NC GreenPower are tax deductible. For more information, visit www.ncgreenpower.org.

About SECU and the SECU Foundation

A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, SECU has been providing employees of the state of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for over 82 years. The Credit Union also offers a diversified line of financial advisory services including retirement and education planning, tax preparation, insurance, trust and estate planning services, and investments through its partners and affiliated entities.

SECU serves 2.5 million members through 267 branch offices, 1,100 ATMs, 24/7 Member Services via phone, a website, www.ncsecu.org and a Mobile App. Members can also follow and subscribe to SECU on Facebook and YouTube. The SECU Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization funded by the contributions of SECU members, promotes local community development in North Carolina primarily through high impact projects in the areas of housing, education, healthcare and human services. Since 2004, SECU Foundation has made a collective financial commitment of more than $175 million for initiatives to benefit North Carolinians statewide. In addition to the website, highlights are also available on the SECU Foundation Instagram page.