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34. Please describe any other <br />aspect of your project that is <br />relevant to local economic <br />development. <br />This project will help North Carolina and Duke Energy achieve <br />their goals of carbon neutrality by 2050. Habitat is the sixth <br />largest homebuilder in the U.S. As of 2019, only fifty Habitat <br />affiliates across the country and two in North Carolina used solar <br />panels. If funded, we hope that this impactful project will serve as <br />a model for other Habitat affiliates and help Habitat become a <br />national leader in solarizing homes. Funding of this proposal will <br />send a strong message that Orange County supports expanding <br />renewable energy and making it accessible to everyone. <br />Encouraging deployment of solar also supports local solar <br />companies and hence the creation of good paying local jobs. <br /> <br /> <br />Criterion 6 - Amount and Duration of Engagement <br /> <br /> <br />35. Please describe how you will <br />engage with and/or educate project <br />participants. <br />As Habitat expands our solar program, we will provide education <br />about the environmental and affordability benefits of solar to <br />homebuyer families and Habitat supporters. Habitat’s homebuyer <br />services team will work closely with the buyers of each potential <br />solar home to ensure that the homebuyer is informed about the <br />benefits and potential risks of solar and can decide whether to <br />participate in the program. On all of its homes, Habitat works with <br />individual buyers through the duration of the project and is also <br />available for guidance and support after closing. On this project <br />specifically, we will work with Rotary and our other solar partners <br />to ensure that we are giving buyers all of the information they <br />need to know. Habitat remains engaged with its home buyers <br />throughout the life of their 30-year mortgage. <br />36. How will you measure the <br />success of that engagement or <br />educational effort? <br />As a result of the success of the pilot installations, enthusiasm has <br />grown among Habitat homebuyers eager to have solar panels on <br />their roof and who welcome the anticipated $780/year saving on <br />their electricity bills. To date, no homebuyer whose roof <br />orientation was appropriate for solar has opted out of the <br />program. <br /> <br />The success of our engagement and educational efforts by <br />measuring the number of Habitat homes that receive rooftop <br />solar over time, homebuyers educated, club members educated, <br />grants and donations received, and solar advocates created. <br />Habitat will also educate homebuyers about the ability to monitor <br />the amount of energy savings per month generated by the solar <br />panels using a solar app. <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: 9E4C108B-9C5C-4E75-9AF1-C4CA2E16CEC5