May 01, 2017, [Dallas, Texas] – Today, Good Faith Impact (GFI) announced that its Solarize South Dallas team (the “Team”) was selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative’s Solar in Your Community Challenge, a $5 million prize competition that aims to expand solar electricity access.
Over the next 18 months, the Team is to develop innovative projects that enable residents and non-profits in the Fair Park & South Dallas communities to go solar. The project will demonstrate community solar installations, completed by local residents who have completed GFI’s solar technical training program (or classes). The lessons learned from this pilot project will inspire other economically challenged communities in the DFW metroplex looking to go solar.
“We are thrilled that our team was selected to join the challenge,” said Lucas Martin of Good Faith Impact. “Our project will benefit the people of South Dallas by reducing the soft costs of projects, increasing access to affordable alternative renewable energy solutions, and by putting money back into the pockets of hard working local Texans.”
The Team also recognizes the vital need to create economic pathways out of poverty and is working for the triple bottom line of energy self-sufficiency, economic opportunity and eco-sustainability.
The Solarize South Dallas team will join hundreds of other teams from around the country in their pursuit of solar projects and programs that expand solar access to low- and moderate-income households and nonprofit organizations. All teams will compete for $1 million in final prizes, which will be awarded by judges based on each project or program’s innovation, impact, and replicability.
The Team has partnered with local community groups such as Forward Planning, Good Faith Energy, Miles of Freedom, the North Texas Renewable Energy Group, the State Fair of Texas, and Zip Code Connection, to help create strategies that empower local citizens through breakthrough renewable energy innovations. In April of 2017, the Team hosted a one-week solar technical training course, offered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, where 15 local residents successfully completed training on the technical design and safety elements of solar photovoltaic installation projects and learned about career opportunities.
About Good Faith Impact
About Good Faith Impact: Good Faith Impact is a Dallas-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that offers trainings that promote environmentally conscious careers. Empowerment programming such as education, entrepreneurship, and economic development, allows everyone to move forward together.
About the Solar in Your Community Challenge
The Solar in Your Community Challenge, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative and administered by SUNY Polytechnic Institute, is a $5 million prize competition that aims to expand solar access to low and moderate income households; and state, local, and tribal governments; and non-profit organizations.
More information about the selected teams and the Solar in Your Community Challenge is at www.solarinyourcommunity.org.
About the SunShot Initiative
The U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative is a national effort to drive down the cost of solar electricity and support solar adoption. SunShot aims to make solar energy a low cost electricity source for all Americans through research and development efforts in collaboration with public and private partners. Learn more at energy.gov/sunshot.
