This event was covered by Action 2 News. Their coverage can be found here.
On Tuesday, October 8th, 2019 NeighborWorks Green Bay held a dedication ceremony for their new 64.8 kW solar PV system. This system will counterbalance their annual electric consumption by 48%, producing enough energy to power ten homes, eliminating about 64,000 pounds of CO2, and saving the non-profit around $7,000 a year on utility bills. Aided by grants from Focus on Energy and Solar for Good, along with generous donations from the Schneider Foundation, NeighborWorks was able to offset over half of the cost for the entire project.
Beginning the dedication was Steve Dorosz, Director of Resource Development for NeighborWorks Green Bay. He stated, “If you’re going to know one thing about our organization, please remember this. We highly value relationships. So, the relationship that we have with each one of you and all of us collectively working together for this project, we greatly appreciate that and are very thankful for it.”
A few other speakers joined in the dedication, all of which were key individuals in planning the event or supporting it financially. NeighborWorks President & CEO, Noel Halverson, gave us a background of the non-profit’s mission and what they have accomplished over the years:
“This project is on top of an old building, and that building has been around since before the turn of the last century. We (NeighborWorks) are relative newcomers to the area, formed in 1982 and moving into this building in 2007. This neighborhood has changed a lot, and that’s part of what NeighborWorks does, we care about the old homes. We try to revitalize communities to make the neighborhoods a better place. We encourage homeownership, encourage housing choices throughout our neighborhoods…we want to make sure that everyone has a place to live. What we’re doing in this building now is helping people make smart decisions about their housing future. Our home ownership center council’s families that are thinking about pursuing the American dream of home ownership…We’ve helped over 3,000 families purchase homes in this neighborhood and the broader community. This building, with the renovation work we’ve done over time, is just one of 400 homes, apartments, and commercial buildings that we’ve renovated throughout the great Green Bay area. I’m so proud to continue that renovation work with the solar panels on the roof, they will help lower our cost, improve our efficiency and make it easier for us, with our limited resources, to serve even more families in our community.”
Halverson pointed out some key individuals that made the project happen, the main one being Alex Mueller, CFO of NeighborWorks Green Bay. Halverson stated that “Alex saw the possibility of this project, and although our other partners and funders made it feasible, Alex made it possible. With his persistence the project truly came to life.”
The reason for the trucks….
Originally constructed in the 1800s, the building became the birthplace of Schneider in 1938 when company founder Al Schneider moved his fledgling operations there. Schneider’s antique truck, affectionately dubbed “Vinny” joined us for some recreation photos with the building now outfitted with solar panels to reduce energy costs. Schneider also brought a 2019 tractor outfitted with its most cutting-edge features, showing how much the company – and the transportation industry – has changed since its earliest days. “It was a natural fit for us to help this building become more efficient. At Schneider we believe in honoring the past by living out our core values every day, while at the same time keeping our eye on the horizon and embracing change and innovation.” The Schneider Foundation donated $23,000 towards the project.
Information about the project can be found on the NeighborWorks Green Bay testimonial page.
