On Monday, April 22, 2024, Community Partners Campus (CPC) hosted a solar dedication ceremony to celebrate the completion of their new 142-kilowatt (kW) solar array. This event, which fittingly took place on Earth Day, marked a significant milestone for CPC, a facility dedicated to providing essential services to the most vulnerable residents of the greater Wausau area.
CPC’s mission is to provide a collaborative space for a wide range of human services, offering shared facilities for nonprofit partners dedicated to serving disadvantaged individuals and families. With core programs providing free services related to food, shelter, medical care, mental health, and social well-being, Community Partners Campus plays a crucial role in the community by offering essential services to those in need.
“As a facility that provides space to seven nonprofits that all provide basic needs services, solar is a great eighth partner, said Tara Glodowski, Executive Director of Community Partners Campus. “On Earth Day, 2024, we dedicated our new system and welcomed the array and the harvest from the sun’s power that it will provide. We look forward to reaping the benefits and being able to keep overhead costs low for our incredible teams that serve the most vulnerable community all under one roof.”
The decision to install solar panels at CPC was driven by the need to keep operational costs low for the seven nonprofits that operate under its roof. The facility, a 25,000-square-foot building, now boasts a 142 kW array that will produce 155,261 kWh of energy annually. This system will offset 29.2% of the campus’s annual energy usage, significantly reducing their energy bills. The solar project was made possible through the support of the Solar for Good grant, which has enabled CPC to maintain below-market rent for their nonprofit partners. This ensures that these organizations can continue to focus on their mission-driven purposes without the burden of high operational costs.
“It was a pleasure to provide clean energy to Community Partners Campus,” said Jordan Kaiser with Northwind Solar. “We’re tremendously grateful to be of service to an organization that does such amazing work in the Wausau community. To play a small part in their overall vision and mission has been a privilege for our company!”
Community Partners Campus’s commitment to sustainability and cost efficiency reflects its dedication to breaking barriers for the people and agencies it serves. By embracing solar energy, CPC not only supports environmental stewardship but also strengthens its ability to provide essential services to the community. This collaborative effort exemplifies how innovative solutions can enhance the impact of nonprofit work, ensuring that everyone has access to basic human needs in a safe and supportive environment.