2025-096-E-County Mgr-Solar Equity-Solar on St Joseph CME Church

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Project Benefits: The installation of rooftop solar on St. Joseph's CME Church will provide around 28,431 kWh of energy every year, saving over $1,400 in energy costs. These savings will continue to accrue over the 25‐year lifetime of the panels and will be re‐injected into the Northside Neighborhood, stimulating higher home retention rates, and preserving the neighborhood’s complex history. Moreover, the system will prevent 1.038 million pounds of carbon from entering the atmosphere over 25 years. Reviewer Comments: The CFE considers this an excellent project with a significant impact on the local community, earning high marks for its community outreach and educational components. However, funding was limited to $50,000 for 2024 to ensure support could be provided to as many projects as possible. The HRC values the project’s focus on addressing energy poverty by providing solar solutions to low‐income households. Additionally, the church plays a vital role in serving a historically low‐income, minority neighborhood and offering support to the Northside community. #6 Ranked Project – Urban Sustainability Solutions – Green Infrastructure Workforce Development Project Applicant (Collaborators): Burt’s Bees, Environmental Protection Agency, Triangle Community Foundation, Carrboro Stormwater Management/Public Works Funding Requested: $71,000 Recommended Funding Level: $58,100 Total Score (Out of 26 pts): 18.6 Project Description: Urban Sustainability Solutions will install sustainable stormwater management practices to minimize flooding, mold, and foundation issues on additional, historically underserved properties in Orange County. Funding will support training and certification of Orange County teachers and students via afterschool training programs, culminating with 1‐2 sustainable stormwater management multi‐home installations on Orange County properties. Project Benefits: This project will both protect and improve these properties, the residents and their waterways from the increased force and frequency of storm events accompanying climate warming. 50 students (and 10 teachers) trained in the USS program will receive real‐world work experience in sustainable stormwater and landscape engineering, providing them with job‐ready skills. Reviewer Comments: The CFE appreciates the workforce training and educational outreach components of this project, highlighting the organization’s strong track record. However, due to limited 2024 funding, support was capped at $58,000. The HRC values the project’s direct benefits to teachers and students, particularly its focus on installing stormwater management systems in historically underserved Orange County neighborhoods. They also commend the inclusion of a significant educational component and the provision of compensation for both teachers and students involved in the project. #7 Ranked Project – Red Hawk Farm – Renewable Energy Infrastructure Applicant (Collaborators): Branham Group Inc., NC Clean Energy Technology Center, Piedmont Electric Cooperative Funding Requested: $100,000 Recommended Funding Level: $0 Total Score (Out of 26 pts): 18.2 Project Description: Red Hawk Farm requests funds to hire a renewable energy contractor to supply engineering services for the farm’s USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant application, and to replace their existing single phase power supply lines with three phase, which is required to install the appropriately sized solar array needed for the farm and allow for future investment in geothermal heating and cooling systems. Project Benefits: These improvements would allow the farm to serve as a demonstration of what is possible with sustainability and renewable energy on farms in this region. This demonstration would be of 10Docusign Envelope ID: 257985C7-FC41-4937-8E64-B610C38DBA58