Solar energy will help power the homes of 400 Colorado families this coming year that are unable to keep up with utility payments because of the $100,000 raised by the Keep the Lights on Colorado community giving campaign. Keep the Lights on Colorado, a community fundraising campaign, raised enough money to power the homes of 400 Colorado families in 2023 through community solar subscriptions.
Colorado PV contractor Namaste Solar brought businesses and individuals together to support the campaign, with 21 corporate sponsors and 66 individual donors, raising the $100,000 that will provide community solar subscriptions to low-income families.
Namaste Solar created Keep the Lights on Colorado in 2020 to support its mission of creating holistic wealth for the community. The annual campaign runs each November and raises money for Energy Outreach Colorado, a Denver-based not-for-profit that helps families throughout Colorado afford their energy costs. Energy Outreach Colorado gives families access to community solar subscriptions that provide long-term stability in the form of monthly bill credits, which will reduce their annual home energy costs by 38%.
The subscriptions provided are not affiliated with projects built by or in benefit of Namaste Solar.
“Energy Outreach Colorado is proud to partner with Namaste Solar and their innovative Keep the Lights on Colorado campaign,” said Tess Richey, director of development at Energy Outreach Colorado. “The funds raised will help stabilize families facing energy insecurity by reducing household energy costs through long-term solar subscriptions, making home energy more affordable. This campaign has continued to grow over the past three years, and we are thrilled that the organizations and individuals who support this year’s campaign have made it the most impactful year yet.”
According to Energy Outreach Colorado, one in four households struggle with a high energy burden. These households are spending a disproportionate amount of their income on energy bills. The energy burden on low-income households is three times that of higher-income households. The community solar subscriptions address an immediate need by taking a cost burden away from families and giving them the freedom to invest in other needs.
As the organizer, Namaste Solar led the campaign with a contribution of $10,000.
“Namaste Solar strongly believes in supporting the communities that we are a part of. Especially in the last three years we’ve seen that people are struggling and have immediate needs that we want to help support,” said Jenna Stadsvold, Namaste Solar co-owner, brand manager and Keep the Lights on Colorado program manager. “It’s an added bonus that Energy Outreach Colorado helps invest in solar energy for the long-term, too.”
Sponsors this year included:
- Leadership Level Sponsors ($5,000 supporting 20 families): REC Group and Greenbacker Energy Investment.
- Company Influencer Level Sponsors ($2,500 supporting 10 families): Studio Shed, BSW Wealth Partners, Moye White, Amalgamated Bank, BizWest, and Bisnow.
- Promoter Level Sponsors ($1,000 supporting 4 families): Trebuchet Group, Conscience Bay Company, Alpine Bank, Plant Moran, Domoto, Shirazi Benefits, Wallaroo Hat Company, GroundFloor Media, Solaris Energy, NESCO, The Colorado Sound, and KUNC
In the three years the campaign has run, 916 of Colorado families in need have been supported.
News item from Namaste Solar
