Aug 10 2007
Project Open Hand and Foster City-based solar installer SolarCity have announced their partnership to launch an innovative matching program. The unique project highlights the potential of solar power technology to help control operating costs for non-profits and kicks-off at the Plate to Plate 5K Run/Walk Sunday, August 12, 2007.
Project Open Hand is the second of many more solar projects that PG&E will be donating to San Francisco as part of our $7.5 million city-wide solar investment. SolarCity was selected by Project Open Hand and PG&E's non-profit partner, The Foundation for Environmental Education, to install a generous 23kW solar system. SolarCity is launching a matching program to help fill the balance of Project Open Hand's roof with solar power. In this SolarCity Matching Program, every 15kW of solar power the greater Project Open Hand donor community purchases will be matched with 1 kW solar power donated to augment the system. The partners have set an ambitious goal to raise a total of 120 kW of solar electricity power. The savings over the life of the system is estimated to fall anywhere from $600k to $1 million for Project Open Hand and the environmental benefits over 25 years will be like taking 6.2 cars off the road or planting 10 acres of trees.
"The solar partnership with PG&E and SolarCity will allow Project Open Hand to focus more resources on our core programs and free up operations resources," Dan Schuman, Director of Operations said. "At the end of the day, this will mean more meals we are able to provide to the home-bound, critically ill population we serve."
To kick-start the program, PG&E and SolarCity are sponsoring the Plate to Plate 5K Run/Walk, beginning at 9:00 a.m. August 12 on Terry Francois Street, across McCovey Cove from AT&T Park. Every dollar pledged through Plate to Plate will go directly to Project Open Hand's meal, grocery and nutrition counseling programs in San Francisco and Alameda counties.
"We are thrilled to be working with the non-profit community," said SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive. "We all owe a great deal to the people at Project Open Hand who give of themselves every day. I'm hoping we can surpass the program goals and raise all the solar power they need and then some."