Partner Spotlight: Main South Community Development Corporation
Main South CDC: A Win-Win Partnership
by Shruti Gupta, Investor Development Associate
Speaking to Steve Teasdale, executive director of the Main South Community Development Corporation in Worcester, MA, one thing he said about going solar stood out: “We are interested in playing our part.”
Reflecting upon the history and initiatives of Main South CDC, this pursuit has served as a common thread that has shaped so much of its good work, from constructing affordable housing to programming community engagement opportunities. Sunwealth is proud to help Main South ‘play their part’ in the clean energy economy.
The Project
Sunwealth partnered with Main South CDC on a 15 kW rooftop installation on their Worcester, MA headquarters. The system, developed by Resonant Energy, was installed by SunBug Solar. Over its lifetime, the system will provide Main South with $15,000 in energy savings, while reducing its carbon emissions by 352 metric tons.
Sustainability and Affordable Housing
Main South was founded in the early 1980s as part of a joint effort between concerned members of Clark University and the surrounding community to combat the socioeconomic and physical decline of the neighborhood. Today, they offer a wide variety of programs, including a small business loan program, a program for first-time homebuyers, and the Main South Youth Corps, which teaches 14-16-year-olds leadership and job preparation skills.
Teasdale noted that going solar fits into Main South’s neighborhood revitalization work. “Promoting sustainable energy is sort of part of our mission as well,” he said, going on to speak about the importance of incorporating sustainability into affordable housing development.
He described Main South CDC’s partnership with Sunwealth as a “win-win” for the organization: not only will the organization experience significant energy savings, but it will also greatly reduce its carbon footprint.
Democratizing Solar
Solar energy can play a clear role in supporting affordable housing development and helping neighborhoods and communities thrive – stabilizing energy costs, while delivering clean energy and green jobs. At Sunwealth, we partner with local developers and installers to develop community-based solar projects with project hosts like Main South who deliver housing and services in their communities. As of June 2021, 40% of our projects placed in service are located in LMI census tracts. These projects help build a more inclusive clean energy economy while delivering strong, stable financial returns to our investors.
We are proud to partner SunBug and Resonant Energy to help Main South CDC go solar, and proud to welcome Main South into our community of solar customers. We share Main South’s vision of a diverse, safe, inclusive and vibrant community – and are glad to “play our part” in making that vision a reality.
Shruti Gupta is an Investor Development Associate at Sunwealth. She is passionate about environmental justice and equitable access to clean energy. Outside of Sunwealth, Shruti can be found gardening or looking for a good spot to hammock.