Solar energy will help power the homes of 400 Colorado families this coming year that are unable to keep up with utility payments because of the $100,000 raised by the Keep the Lights on Colorado community giving campaign. Namaste Solar brought businesses and individuals together to support the campaign with 21 corporate sponsors and 66 individual donors providing community solar subscriptions to low-income families.
Namaste Solar created Keep the Lights on Colorado in 2020 to fulfill its mission of creating holistic wealth for the community. The annual campaign runs each November and raises money for Energy Outreach Colorado, a Denver-based not-for-profit that helps families throughout Colorado afford their energy costs. Energy Outreach Colorado gives families access to community solar subscriptions* that provide long-term stability in the form of monthly bill credits, which will reduce their annual home energy costs by 38%.
According to Energy Outreach Colorado, one in four households struggle with a high energy burden. These households are spending a disproportionate amount of their income on energy bills. The energy burden on low-income households is 3x that of higher-income households. The community solar subscriptions address an immediate need by taking a cost burden away from families and giving them the freedom to invest in other needs.
Over the three years the campaign has run, 916 of Colorado families in need have been supported.
