Two Valley nonprofit agencies, Native Health and Catholic Charities Community Services, have been selected to receive new solar energy systems as part of the SRP Solar for Nonprofits program.
The donated solar systems will be built on top of parking lot structures, or “solar canopies,” also donated by SRP Solar for Nonprofits.
Native Health has provided accessible health services to Maricopa County’s American Indian/Alaskan Native (AIAN) and other underserved community for more than 40 years. As part of its mission toward providing accessible, holistic and patient-centered care, the nonprofit offers a wide variety services and resources aimed at empowering the community to achieve the greatest health and well-being. The new solar energy system will be installed at the organization’s Mesa facility.
“This new solar system will not only help reduce our carbon footprint, but it will also help us in our ongoing efforts of becoming more sustainable,” said Walter Murillo, CEO of Native Health. “The reduced energy costs from the new system will translate to more money spent in other critical areas of our organization.”
Catholic Charities Community Services in Phoenix reaches thousands of people each year regardless of their race, ethnicity, economic status or religious affiliation. Among the many services it provides, the agency helps shelter the homeless and abused with housing programs, strengthen families through foster care and adoption programs and help the impoverished with food, clothing and basic needs. The organization will receive its parking lot solar system at its location on North 19th Avenue.
“Our organization is dependent upon operating as efficiently as possible to keep our revenue funneled to our needed programs,” said Paul Mulligan, President & CEO of Catholic Charities Community Services. “With the addition of this new solar system, we can use our reduced energy costs to re-allocate funds to client programs which will allow us to serve more people in need.”
The Solar for Nonprofits program is funded by SRP customers who contribute as little as $3 a month. Since 2007, the program has awarded 51 solar systems to deserving Valley-based nonprofit organizations which SRP works to install. Collectively, the program has helped nonprofits save more than $1 million while providing renewable, emission-free energy for their buildings. For customers interested in donating to this program to help additional nonprofits receive solar installations, they can learn more on the SRP website.
Adding more renewable resources to the community and the state of Arizona is a major objective for SRP, which is committed to adding 2,025 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale solar resources by the year 2025, more than double SRP’s original solar commitment made at the end of 2018. SRP also has among the largest utility-scale battery investments in the Western U.S. with over 800 MW of battery storage projects that will be online by 2024 – with more to soon be announced.
Native Health and Catholic Charities Community Services were selected from the SRP Solar for Nonprofits application period which ended on November 30, 2022. The program’s application period is currently closed and will re-open in July 2023. To qualify, nonprofit applicants must be designated 501(c)(3) organizations, based within SRP’s electric service territory and a parking lot to which SRP can add a donated structure.