The Impact Solar Initiative is deploying 40 MW of solar across Central Ohio for nonprofits, public mission driven organizations. The initiative is offsetting carbon footprints, creating new jobs, investing millions into the Central Ohio community, and reducing energy costs for the nonprofit sector. Through this initiative, we are building energy equity and catalyzing equitable investment in our neighborhoods.
Estimated Impact of the Initiative
$116,000,000
in economic growth spurred across Ohio
68 GWH
of regional fossil fuel generation displaced every year
$167,000,000
produced in health benefits for the region from the displacement of pollutants
40 MW
at 75 highly visible and accessible learning and engagement opportunities
$130,000,000
in energy savings generated for Ohio nonprofits and government agencies
The Impact Solar Initiative harnesses new innovative financial models to generate low-cost on-site renewable energy for the organizations serving our communities the most. It is focused on the equitable deployment of solar to increase green energy jobs, catalyze economic development, and offset the carbon footprint of our region all while generating operational savings for nonprofit organizations.
The Impact Solar Initiative was created by The Columbus Partnership and Community Renewable Energy to:
- Increase the impact of renewable energy in Central Ohio
- Serve the organizations serving our communities
- Build projects that prioritize energy equity
- Propel Columbus toward its sustainability goals
- Demonstrate the meaningful effect of impact investing and community-serving development models in Ohio
Nonprofit HostsAll nonprofits are eligible to host solar at their facilities.
By participating in the Impact Solar initiative
organizations can:
- Reduce their operational costs
- Lock in low cost electricity costs long term
- Offset their carbon footprint
- Access highly visible renewable energy for their facilities
functions, ongoing programming and fundraising activities
Are you a nonprofit interested in solar?
Explore your options in being one of 75 Columbus area nonprofits benefiting from the Solar Impact initiative.
Want to Collaborate with the Impact Solar Initiative?
Are you a lender, investor, installer, or service provider that is inspired to collaborate with the Impact Solar Initiative?
THE TEAM
Community Renewable Energy is focused on increasing access to solar and climate action solutions for nonprofits, government entities, and low to moderate-income residents. CRE supports communities and non-profits through sustainable solutions for growth, cost reduction, and environmental conservation. As a member of the Praxia Partners family, CRE draws on an extensive toolkit of expertise to advance community, economic, and environmental development. You can read more about Community Renewable Energy’s work at https://praxia-partners.com/cre
Clean Energy Ventures is a nonprofit initiative of the Columbus Partnership, and a mission-driven energy broker helping Central Ohio organizations access renewable energy. The mission of the Columbus Partnership is to develop, advocate, and support high-impact strategies to ensure the Columbus Region continues to thrive as one of the most vibrant, innovative, and globally competitive regions in the world. You can learn more about The Columbus Partnership and Clean Energy Ventures at www.columbuspartnership.com
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the cost to my organization?
We understand the barriers that prevent non-profits from accessing renewable energy, and this model specifically addresses those. Our solar requires no upfront capital cost from you and doesn’t redirect additional dollars from your valuable mission. In fact, we only will proceed with a project if our feasibility study shows that we can meet or beat your current energy price. Our model allows non-profits to avoid upfront installation costs and lock-in rates that will bring the organization savings over the lifespan of the solar facility. The only financial commitment from the host is to continue paying for the electricity you consume. We will develop, finance, install, own, and maintain the system for your use.
What is a Power Purchase Agreement? (PPA)
A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is a contract between a solar developer (such as Community Renewable Energy) and an electricity user, such as a nonprofit organization. A PPA governs all aspects of an agreement to develop, operate and maintain a solar facility. Everything from the price of electricity, to who will manage operations and maintenance, to purchase options for the nonprofit should they be interested in buying the asset, to insurance, and more are outlined in the PPA. Not all Power Purchase Agreements are the same, but they all cover the same basic foundations. Our standard PPA is based on the National Renewable Energy Laboratories standard and has been modified to ensure additional issues or scenarios most relevant to nonprofit operations are proactively anticipated. We have used our abundant experience working with non-profits to ensure that any questions your board, facilities management, or leadership team might need to be answered can be thought through before a project breaks ground.
Are there other ways that solar power can save me money?
Yes, there are two additional ways that solar power can save your organization money.
Preserved Roof Health: In addition to providing abundant energy savings, solar PV arrays also provide indirect cost benefits by preserving roof health. Roof-mounted solar arrays have been found to reduce HVAC loads and increase the energy efficiency of buildings because they block much of the rooftop’s solar absorption.
Potential Reduction in Peak Demand Charges: One of the benefits of producing on-site solar is its potential to reduce peak demand charges from your utility. The production of solar on your facility may reduce the peak demand your facility draws from the grid, which may ultimately reduce fees on your utility bill.
Why is now the right time to go solar for my organization?
From a financial perspective, now is always the right time to lower operational costs! From an environmental perspective, now is the right time for us all to be reducing our carbon footprint. With our decades of experience working alongside non-profits, CRE understands that operational cost-savings to a non-profit aren’t just a number on the bottom line.
How will I know if my roof is suitable for solar?
We figure that out for you. We conduct a thorough analysis of your building, site, and current energy consumption to determine the feasibility of solar for your property. For our non-profit partners, we conduct that feasibility study for free! We will provide the full analysis for your review detailing our findings and our recommendations for you to maximize your potential clean energy savings. If barriers to solar are identified, we will also provide recommended solutions for consideration.
How long does a solar system last?
As solar technology continues to improve, the lifespan of the equipment increases. You can expect your system to produce electricity for your organization for the next 30-35 years. (Some are even using 45-year estimates.) However, for underwriting and other financing reasons, Power Purchase Agreement terms are generally shorter than that, between 15 and 25 years. This means that once your PPA is complete, your system could still have anywhere between 10 and 20 years of producing power.
What kind of experience does the team have with non-profits?
Community Renewable Energy is an enterprise of Praxia Partners, an enterprise that has 40 years of experience supporting communities, non-profits, and community-based for-profits. We’ve spent decades building capacity with our non-profit partners to harness our business acumen to support their missions. This has been done through real estate development and entrepreneurship development, and now CRE is harnessing this expertise to help partners access renewable energy and other innovative technologies.
Who operates and maintains the solar system to ensure it is working properly?
We do. In addition to routine checkups, our systems are monitored remotely 24/7 and, if any hiccup is flagged, a work order is issued so that it can be promptly addressed. Our solar design includes walkways and setbacks from existing utilities on your roof, so access to both is easy. Solar facilities have very few moving parts and are assembled in a modular fashion, which ensures that one panel or one inverter needing attention doesn’t affect the rest of the system. It also makes it easy for our team to isolate issues and repair them without intruding upon your operations.
