Keep the Lights on Colorado raised $43,900 that will be used to make solar energy more accessible for 176 Colorado families. Regional installer Namasté Solar raised the money through 16 corporate sponsors and 60 individual donors to provide community solar subscriptions to low-income families.
Namasté Solar created Keep the Lights on Colorado in 2020 to honor its vision of engaging in and creating holistic wealth for the community. It’s an annual month-long campaign that raises money for Energy Outreach Colorado, a Denver-based not-for-profit, that helps families throughout Colorado afford their energy costs. Energy Outreach Colorado gives families access to community solar subscriptions that provide bill credits which will reduce their annual home energy costs by 37%.
“The participants enrolled in Energy Outreach Colorado’s solar energy program are thrilled to see a reduction in their home energy costs,” said Tess Richey, director of development at Energy Outreach Colorado. “By saving money each month, and by offsetting C02 emissions through a cleaner energy source, families can focus on having a healthy and secure future. Through the Keep the Lights on Colorado campaign, we can extend affordable, reliable and efficient energy to even more households that are currently struggling to keep their home’s electricity on.”
In looking at the long-term impacts, lower-income communities are disproportionately affected by climate change and environmental hazards like pollution and CO2 emissions.
“A benefit of this campaign is putting choice in the hands of Colorado families struggling to afford home energy bills; only when someone’s immediate needs are met can choices be made that affect the long term,” said Sam Mason, co-owner and commercial design team manager at Namaste Solar. “For example, if I’m struggling with basic necessities like utility bills I may not have the ability to prioritize reducing my environmental impact.”
