With an inspiring commitment to environmental justice and sustainability, SolarEquity has unveiled its collaboration with EMPOWERment Inc. to ignite positive change in the Chapel Hill region. This pioneering effort is geared towards retrofitting the PEACH Apartments into a model of green living, prioritizing the welfare of low-income households and taking a bold stance against climate change.
Partnership Aims for a Brighter, Sustainable Future
Aligned in their vision, SolarEquity and EMPOWERment Inc., a charity committed to affordable housing access, are joining forces. In collaboration with NC Solar Now, the designated installation partner, a 42.075 kW solar panel array will crown the PEACH Apartments. This eco-friendly conversion will ease the financial pressure on residents by cutting down each apartment’s energy expenditures by an impressive $37 per month on average.
Driving Change Through Solar Innovation
President Will Nichols of SolarEquity heralds this collaboration as transformative. “Teaming up with EMPOWERment, we’re setting a precedent for integrating solar power into underprivileged communities, sidestepping up to 1.5 million pounds of carbon emissions,” Nichols articulated. He emphasizes that such innovative steps are precisely what the mission to arrest climate change and boost social fairness is all about. It’s not just about going green; it’s about straightening the energy imbalance and paving a path to a future where everyone can thrive equally.
Groundbreaking and Socially Responsible Development
Chapel Hill is poised to celebrate the break ground for the PEACH Apartments this October 2023, which will stand out as the first debt-free, affordable housing complex in the community. The project aims to offer ten assorted units to families making 30-60% of the median income in the area. In this way, the solar undertaking is more than an infrastructure project—it’s a pledge towards racial fairness and reducing the strain of energy costs on the families most in need. Over the three decades that the solar panels are expected to last, a multitude of families will reap the benefits of the resultant energy savings. Both SolarEquity and EMPOWERment are at the forefront, steering the community towards a future where environmental consciousness and equity are the cornerstones of development.
