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<br />Page 19 of 22 <br /> <br />31. 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 their <br />goals of carbon neutrality by 2050. Habitat is the sixth largest <br />homebuilder in the U.S. As of 2019, only fifty Habitat affiliates across <br />the country and two in North Carolina used solar panels. If funded, we <br />hope that this impactful project will continue to serve as a model for <br />other Habitat affiliates and help Habitat become a national leader in <br />solarizing homes. Funding of this proposal will send a strong message <br />that Orange County supports expanding renewable energy and making <br />it accessible to everyone. Encouraging deployment of solar also <br />supports local solar companies and hence the creation of good paying <br />local jobs. <br /> <br />Criterion 6 - Amount and Duration of Engagement <br />This criterion has a maximum score of 3 pts (out of a total of 26 pts). <br /> <br />32. Please briefly describe the <br />target population to benefit <br />from the project. <br />The target audience to benefit from this project is Orange County <br />residents and workers who earn between 30%-80% Area Median <br />Income (AMI). These households will become first time homeowners <br />by purchasing a solarized house from Habitat, improving cost savings <br />for the family while providing broader environmental benefits. Please <br />see question six for additional details about the demographics of <br />populations served by Habitat. <br />33. How many people will benefit <br />from your project? <br />Fourteen households will directly benefit from the solar installations <br />supported by the requested funds. While the specific buyers are not <br />yet identified, an estimated 42 adults and children will benefit based <br />on the average 3-person household size. <br />34. Please describe how you will <br />engage with and/or educate <br />project participants and/or the <br />community. <br />As Habitat expands our solar program, we will provide education about <br />the environmental and affordability benefits of solar to homebuyer <br />families and Habitat supporters. Habitat’s homebuyer services team <br />will work closely with the buyers of each potential solar home to <br />ensure that the homebuyer is informed about the benefits and <br />potential risks of solar and can decide whether to participate in the <br />program. On all of its homes, Habitat works with individual buyers <br />through the duration of the project and is also available for guidance <br />and support after closing. <br />35. 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 their <br />roof and who welcome the anticipated $780/year saving on their <br />electricity bills. To date, no homebuyer whose roof orientation was <br />appropriate for solar has opted out of the program. <br /> <br />The success of our engagement and educational efforts by measuring <br />the number of Habitat homes that receive rooftop solar over time, the <br />number of homebuyers and community members who are engaged <br />with our solar program, and the community support received through <br />Docusign Envelope ID: AA482F5E-25D4-439A-862A-65CC63DF3A74