Solar project helps Second Harvest Food Bank reduce costs and carbon footprint
An array of solar panels — enough to power almost 200 homes — is providing electricity for the headquarters of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina in Winston-Salem. Image courtesy of the Piedmont Environmental Alliance.
A local food bank and environmental group recently flipped the switch on a large-scale rooftop solar project.
The project, dubbed “Solar Harvest,” launched last week through a partnership between Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina and the Piedmont Environmental Alliance.
1,700 panels across two acres on the roof now help power the food bank’s headquarters in Winston-Salem.
Eric Aft, CEO of Second Harvest, says the organization has a long history of conservation work, including recycling and composting. And the green energy idea fit in with that mission.
“The scale of Solar Harvest to create a more sustainable community and sustainable organization was just incredibly exciting for our entire team,” he says.
Piedmont Environmental Alliance officials helped Second Harvest navigate the federal tax credits that made the investment possible. The alliance is now working with other nonprofits to expand solar use in the region.
Second Harvest provides food, workforce development and nutrition education across 18 counties. The project is expected to save the organization more than $140,000 per year.
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