Powering a Generation of Caregivers
Sunwealth partnered with Isaksen Solar to develop a 123 kW low-income community solar project for Project Independence, a nonprofit providing care to seniors and disabled adults in the New Bedford area.
Our 123 kW low-income community solar project developed in partnership with Isaksen Solar for Project Independence in New Bedford, MA.
In the United States, we are in the midst of a care crisis, exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone, in some way, is impacted by the difficulty of attaining quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare, but the consequences of this deficit often fall disproportionately on older individuals. An article from the New York Times describes the combined struggle of long waiting lists for home-based assistance alongside the financial strain of living longer and requiring long-term care. Beyond logistical and financial difficulties, balancing adequate support with maintaining independence can also be emotionally challenging for an older individual and their family.
Project Independence understands this dilemma and seeks to fill this care gap. Founded in 1982, Project Independence is a Medicaid-certified nonprofit organization based in New Bedford, MA. They work with participants—seniors and disabled adults in the New Bedford area—and their caregivers to deliver personalized medical support, transportation, social services and activities, dietary services, and other forms of care for up to 80 individuals per day. Project Independence provides their participants with the assistance and support they need to remain independent, in the homes and communities in which they feel comfortable and connected.
“We were excited to partake in this venture with Isaksen because of the cost savings to our organization [...] but also because of the opportunity it creates for us to help more individuals in our community through low-income community solar.”
Sunwealth partnered with Fall River-based solar installer Isaksen Solar to develop a 123 kW low-income community solar project on the rooftop of Project Independence. In return for hosting the installation, Project Independence will receive an upfront lease payment of $52,900 and yearly lease payments of $2,700 over the course of the project’s life while also benefiting from over $20,000 in lifetime energy savings. The project will provide low-income community solar subscribers with an estimated $97,000 in electricity savings while reducing over 2,600 metric tons of carbon and creating more than four lifetime solar job years.
“We were excited to partake in this venture with Isaksen because of the cost savings to our organization, which will be directly rolled into participant services, but also because of the opportunity it creates for us to help more individuals in our community through low-income community solar,” said Brittany Botelho, Executive Director of Project Independence. “After all, like we say, we are better together.”
Partnering with Project Independence allows Sunwealth to support the amelioration of our current care crisis—both through providing Project Independence with savings to reinvest in their mission and caring for the Earth and the local community with clean energy.
Interested in learning more about partnering with Sunwealth?