Solar for the People

As solar energy continues to expand across the country, municipalities everywhere are beginning to understand the benefits it can provide their communities.

With plenty of vast, open space and endless days of sunshine, the American Southwest has been a hotspot (pun fully intended) for solar companies to sell their energy-saving products. But what about communities who can't afford to purchase solar for themselves? That's where community solar comes in.

In collaboration with Prosperity Works, a highly-trusted and respected community nonprofit, I was contracted to develop a communications and implementation plan for the City of Albuquerque's community solar program utilizing local and regional community needs assessments. With equity and accessibility as the highest priority, the tiered plan linked communities who were most impacted by rising energy bills with the highest savings. The plan also included social samples, developing a flyer, key messages, and community partnerships that would help market the new program.