CAMPAIGN 02 - Hunting Park Community Solar Initiative
The Hunting Park Community Solar Initiative, or HPCSI, is a neighborhood non-profit focused on strengthening homes, jobs, and finances through energy efficiency and weatherization, rooftop solar, and solar job training.
The initiative was started in November 2020 by CWP East Coast Regional Organizer, Allen Drew, in partnership with two HP pastors and a local solar Installer, Solar States. It is now a legally organized non-profit waiting for its 501c3 letter, and is made up of 2 HP block captains, 3 HP churches, 5 HP non-profits, a representative from Philadelphia's Office of Sustainability, and two solar installers. You can find us at www.hpsolar.org.
In 2021, we ran two sets of neighborhood educational workshops focused on energy efficiency and weatherization, solar installation, and solar job training. You can watch theme at bit.ly/hpcsiworkshopvideos.
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In late 2021, we built a solar training classroom at a partner vocational school in Hunting Park, Vocatio Career Prep HS, and ran our first solar installation training class in the spring of 2022. In July 2022, we graduated our first 5 students OSHA 10 certified and job site ready to join a solar installation crew. The classroom was built using a PA DEP Environmental Education grant, and we received an additional grant this year to make improvements to the classroom and run two more classes. If you are in the Philadelphia area and are interested in registering for our solar installation training class, go to bit.ly/hpsolartrainingclass1.
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We also have partnerships with two solar installers, Solar States and Posigen.
Through our Solar States partnership, we offer solar ownership. Solar ownership is an excellent financial investment. With the federal tax credit and the home equity increase taken into account, the initial investment of rooftop solar should return about 400% of what you put in over 25 years - and at that point your panels will still be operating at about 85% efficiency and able to offer you many more years of free energy. The rate of return is like investing your money in the stock market at 5% monthly compounding interest - a very good rate of return, and one that will be steady as long as the sun keeps shining. Furthermore, if you get solar through our partnership with Solar States, it will create a savings of $200/kW of system installation size, which will either (1) go to you as savings if you live in or near Hunting Park, or (2) be donated to the work of HPCSI if you live outside of HP.
To sign up for a free solar ownership quote through our partnership with Solar States, go here: www.solar-states.com/hpsolar.
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While solar ownership is a better investment over time than solar leasing, for many people the upfront cost of solar, even with excellent financing (which Solar States offers), is either not preferable or not possible. For those interested in solar leasing, we have an excellent option through our partnership with Posigen. They offer a 20-yr fixed rate rooftop solar lease for your home that costs $0 upfront, guarantees net electricity savings of at least 10% the first year (and likely more in following years), includes a free home energy efficiency upgrade, and covers all maintenance of your roof and panels for the duration of the lease. It's a good deal, and when people sign up through our partnership, HPCSI gets $400 for every new lease and a free used solar system and home energy efficiency upgrade for a family of our choice in Hunting Park for every 10 leases.
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To sign up for a free solar leasing quote through our partnership with Posigen, go here: bit.ly/posigen-hpcsi-lead.
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Spreading solar throughout Hunting Park improves home energy empowerment, reduces energy costs, and reduces regional emissions, fighting climate change. Through our partnerships, it also creates a revenue stream. Our goal is to use this revenue stream to run our solar training program, to subsidize cool roof coating projects at a rate of 50% for low income families in Hunting Park (which is an extreme heat zone), and to both train and hire local labor to do the cool roof coatings.
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If you are interested in learning more about getting rooftop solar through this program, or about HPCSI in general, contact Allen Drew.
