Yarra City Council have partnered with the Yarra Energy Foundation to empower our community to go solar.
Thanks to this partnership, YEF are providing residents with discounted prices on quality solar energy systems.
As a bonus, for every 100-kilowatts of solar installed through the Yarra Solar Program, 1 kilowatt has been donated to a local community organisation.
Local not-for-profit, Lighthouse Foundation received a 4-kilowatt solar energy system through the program after nearly 100 Yarra residents installed over 400 kilowatts of solar at home.
Established in 1991, Lighthouse Foundation provides homeless young people with a home, a sense of family, and around-the-clock and individually tailored therapeutic care.
They work with traumatised children and young people who find themselves homeless, at risk of homelessness or in out-of-home care.
Thanks to their work, 8 out of 10 young people who complete the Lighthouse Foundation program do not return to homelessness.
Kaitlyn Spears, Marketing and Community Manager at Lighthouse Foundation, says, "Installing solar is a win-win-win-win."
- Win 1: "The savings from reduced electricity costs will contribute to our ground-breaking work."
- Win 2: "The solar panels will improve the sustainability of this property as a Lighthouse Home into the future."
- Win 3: "By increasing our capacity to generate electricity from the sun, we can boost energy independence."
- Win 4: "The solar panels are a win for the environment."
Electricity prices are one of the Foundation's largest operational expenses. With a social value return of 1:12 ($1 spent = $12 of value), the savings from reduced electricity costs will contribute to addressing the cause of and working toward the elimination of youth homelessness.
Lighthouse Foundation staff found Yarra Energy Foundation good to work with. "They have been responsive and reliable at all stages throughout the installation process."
"We are incredibly grateful to have been selected to receive this generous donation and are delighted with the outcome."
Given the many financial advantages of solar, Lighthouse Foundation has now lodged funding applications to install solar on all their Lighthouse Homes.
