In October, Energy Trust staff presented a big check to Portland nonprofit Twende Solar for installing solar panels on the Portland Rescue Mission’s Shepherd’s Door facility, a residential addiction recovery program for women and their children. Twende Solar is an innovative nonprofit that brings together solar installers to volunteer time and equipment to help bring clean energy benefits to communities that need it most, from Portland to Peru.

To install a 100-kilowatt solar system at Shepherd’s Door, Twende brought in more than 100 volunteers, including many solar installers that are Energy Trust trade ally contractors. Two of the volunteers were Shepherd’s Door residents who went onto enroll in the Constructing Hope pre-apprenticeship program, which provides training and job placement support to help people with a legal history and low-income people start careers in the construction industry.

The Shepherd’s Door project is expected to produce more than 110,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and offset 40 percent of the electricity costs for Portland Rescue Mission, with savings of $60,000 over the next five years. By reducing energy costs, the nonprofit can direct more funds to fulfilling its mission and providing essential services.

Energy Trust is honored to work with Twende Solar and Portland Rescue Mission to provide renewable energy to communities that would not otherwise have access to solar and who stand to benefit the most from cost savings. Check out the video above to learn more about the project.

To find out more about solar cash incentives, visit: https://www.energytrust.org/incentives/solar-for-your-business.