Namaste Solar, through its Keep the Lights on Colorado campaign, has raised roughly $43,900, allowing the company to donate community solar subscriptions to 176 low-income families in Colorado.
The donations came form 16 corporate sponsors and 60 individual donors, including REC Group, Alpine Bank, BayWa r.e., and Premier Members Credit Union.
Keep the Lights on Colorado was started in 2020 to honor Namaste Solar’s company vision of engaging in and creating holistic wealth for the community. The annual month-long campaign 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 an average of 37%.
While Namaste Solar raises money for Energy Outreach Colorado, the subscriptions donated are not affiliated with projects built by or in benefit of Namasté Solar.
According to Energy Outreach Colorado, one-in-four Colorado households struggle with a high energy burden, which leads to such households spending a disproportionate amount of their income on energy bills, when compared to higher-income households, with the average burden being three times worse. Households that meet or are below the 80% area median income threshold can see energy bills take up to 20% of their monthly income.