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“What’s so exciting about solar is that we can really get our hands on it as people.”
Photo Credit: Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation
The Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation, a Pennsylvania nonprofit, spent about three years bringing a rooftop solar project to life, and the early results are already exceeding expectations.
The organization’s new system generated 7% more power in its first month than originally projected, offering an encouraging sign that the investment could translate into meaningful savings over time.
The Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation, based in eastern Pittsburgh, now has a 23.4-kilowatt rooftop array installed by local company EIS Solar. The nonprofit began pursuing the project in 2023, and once the system went live, it quickly started producing more power than expected.
According to Solar Power World, the Pennsylvania Solar Center’s GET Solar program helped move the effort forward by assisting with policy-related challenges and connecting the nonprofit with an installer suited to the job.
Leo Kowalski, director of transformation at the PA Solar Center, said that kind of support is often necessary.
“It’s really common for organizations to need a lot of support,” Kowalski said. “Solar can be complicated. It doesn’t have to be, but often it is, and financing is a huge piece of it.”
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Funding for the project came from several sources. Local resident and Google employee Mahesh Sabhnani donated $10,000, and Google matched it with another $10,000. The project also used financing arranged through the Neighborhood Community Development Fund, along with a state energy-efficiency rebate, the federal investment tax credit, and a domestic-content bonus adder.
Projects like this can lower electricity costs while making buildings less vulnerable to volatile energy prices. When a system outperforms expectations in its first month, it can signal stronger value for the organization paying the power bills.
That can be especially important for nonprofits and community groups, which often operate on limited budgets. Money that would otherwise go toward utility costs can instead be redirected to housing, neighborhood restoration, community programming, or other local priorities.
Solar power generates electricity without producing the carbon pollution associated with burning fuel sources, and more local solar power can help reduce the harmful air pollution that affects nearby communities.
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Gordon Manker, director of business development at the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation, said the project is intended to reach beyond a single building.
“Let the WCDC be the trial run to see how it goes, to see how it gets more people involved, more businesses involved in getting solar on their roof,” Manker said.
The Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation already leads development and restoration efforts in Wilkinsburg, including rehabilitating houses and preserving historic buildings. With the solar array now running, the organization hopes to host workshops to help other neighborhood businesses and groups understand how to bring solar to their own properties.
If you’re considering panels for your own home, EnergySage can help you go solar with free tools that let you compare competitive bids from local installers. And you don’t need to give the company your contact information unless you decide to move forward.
Meanwhile, nonprofit organizations can receive a direct payout covering up to 30% of a qualifying solar installation through federal tax credits, on top of any state or local incentives available.
Kowalski said the project shows what can happen when local organizations, donors, and financing partners work together.
“What’s so exciting about solar is that we can really get our hands on it as people,” Kowalski said.
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