A Letter to the Sunwealth Community: Staying Strong Together Through Challenging Times
Dear Partners, Colleagues and Friends,
As the world navigates the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to reach out and provide an update on the work we’ve been doing at Sunwealth to safeguard the health and well-being of our team, our partners and our communities.
First, we’re keeping our team safe and at home. Last week, we shifted to working remotely, with daily and weekly virtual meetings to keep us connected. With three Eagle Scouts (not to mention several parents of young children) on our team, we know a thing or two about how to “be prepared.” We’re applying that knowledge together in real time, keeping projects moving forward and supporting each other with work-from-home tools, stories of personal and professional “feats of strength” and links to readings, recipes and other resources that are inspiring and sustaining us in this difficult time. But for face-to-face meetings, we are fully operational.
We are prioritizing communication with our solar project partners, checking in to coordinate and understand how best to support them over the next weeks and months. While solar installation has the benefit of being more “socially distanced” than many occupations, we are committed to working with our partners to ensure the health and safety of their workforces and of the built environments and communities in which we operate.
The mild winter allowed for a surge of construction activity. We have already completed several projects including 41 kW at the New Haven Housing Authority’s Constance Baker Motley Apartments. We also have a number of solar projects which are nearing completion – including 250 kW on the roofs of two YMCAs of Metropolitan Hartford and the 340 kW installation on the roof of Auburn High School being built by ACE Solar, pictured above. We continue to prioritize health and safety as we evaluate and advance our 2020 project pipeline.
New Haven Housing Authority’s Constance Baker Motley Apartments.
Sunwealth and our partners have the benefit of 15 years of experience in managing solar equipment supply chain issues. First, we and our partners have inventory for all projects under construction. We have not experienced meaningful supply chain disruptions in our ongoing procurement activities due in part to strong relationships with partners and our ability to procure in small batches. In addition, Asian manufacturing currently is mostly up and running which may be a good indicator of future supply chain liquidity. This could change and we are closely monitoring our supply chains.
Finally, we’re focused on our communities. While a public health crisis like COVID-19 affects all of us, we are conscious of its disproportionate impact on our most vulnerable populations. For this reason, we are proud to partner with and provide power to so many of the institutions that help anchor and support our communities in challenging times – from fire stations and soup kitchens to houses of worship and health centers to schools and community development corporations. Our team is also sharing with each other the opportunities we’ve found to support the most vulnerable members of our communities, with our time, talent and other resources. Sean Dew, Project Development Associate, has volunteered to deliver groceries and meals to Somerville residents in need; other staff members and their families are standing ready to prepare meals for homebound neighbors. An anonymous member of our Sunwealth community has volunteered to pay the solar PPA bill for Mustard Seed Catholic Worker House until this blows over to provide them with additional resources for their important work and one less item to worry about as they continue to provide food and clothing to Worcester’s neediest residents.
The next few weeks and months will be uncharted territory for all of us. Sunwealth is in a strong position to navigate an extended period of uncertainty and challenge. We are grateful for the community of partners with whom we share this journey.
Stay safe and sane,
Jon, Jess, Omar, Charley and the rest of Team Sunwealth