THE SOLAR ENDOWMENT

providing long-term supportand producing clean, local electrons every time the sun shines

Communities across the U.S. are utilizing renewable energy to build energy security, save money, support local economic development, and reduce dependence on polluting fossil fuels.

In a regional effort to help communities take advantage of these

opportunities, the MREA is leading the Grow

Solar Partnership, helping communities across

the Midwest deploy solar energy and invest in

our future.

The Grow Solar Partnership is a market development

effort with the goal of creating a broad base of

support for solar policy by stimulating competitive

local markets, replicating success, and demonstrating

the economic and social benefits of solar deployment

to decision makers at the municipal and state levels.

As part of this effort, the MREA has:

• Built partnerships with 33 colleges and training centers

• Provided training to 179 solar instructors, engaged over 600 people in 30 one-hour presentations on the benefits of solar

• Signed 14 outreach partnerships with solar design and installations businesses

• Attracted support from 25 partners and 65 sponsors in 4 state level conferences that served more than 800 attendees

• Developed a new web platform to share resources and disseminate success

• Attracted funding support from the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative and the National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education grant program

Industry Stakeholders

The MREA is working with partners

throughout the Midwest to o�er state-level

conferences as part of the Solar Powering the

Midwest Conference Series. The conferences

are designed to help policy makers and

project developers de�ne

opportunities in the solar

market and access

resources and networks

to advance projects.

Community Partners

The MREA builds relationships with local

institutions, including the municipality, credit

unions, community banks, cooperatives, and

large employers, to organize 1-hour

presentations (Power Hours) for the

community to provide

information and resources to

help potential

customers

go solar.

LocalContractors

The MREA quali�es local

contractors and works with

local supply houses and regional

manufacturers to ensure

potential customers are working with

experienced installers and have the

opportunity to support local manufacturing.

Training Partners

The MREA works with

partnering community colleges

to help their students gain practical

experience while pursuing the MREA PV Site

Assessment and PV Design and Sales

certi�cates. Students complete practice site

assessments with interested owners, helping

them understand the cost and bene�ts of a

solar installation on their home or business.

The Grow Solar Partnership brings together solar stake

holders in the Midwest!

What is a Solar Endowment?A Solar Endowment is a new concept in giving that can provide long-term

support for an organization while producing local, clean energy.

In a traditional endowment, donors contribute to a fund that is placed in a stock market

investment with expectations to earn interest. Typically, the donor and/or non-profit Board

of Directors ensure that only the earned interest, not the principal, is used to support the

operation of the organization.

A Solar Endowment applies the same concept to an investment in a large solar array.

In this case, the physical solar array serves as the principal investment and the returns

from selling solar electricity to the grid are used to support operations. With contributions

from our members and supporters, the MREA Solar Endowment will provide a long-term

revenue source for the organization to promote solar in the Midwest.

How will a Solar Endowment support the MREA?Your support will fund the construction of a 1 Megawatt

solar array at the MREA main campus in Custer, Wisconsin.

The solar array will:

1. Provide a solar parking canopy and electric vehicle (EV) charging area for vehicles and exhibits, launching the Midwest Electric Vehicle Drive-In to be hosted in conjunction with The Energy Fair.

2. Establish five, model commercial-scale solar arrays to expand the MREA’s hands-on training to include large array design, installation, operation, and maintenance for utility engineers, solar developers, and electrical inspectors.

3. Provide a long-term (20+ year) revenue source to fund community renewable energy education programs throughout the Midwest

4. Provide proof-of-concept to help us facilitate philanthropic investment in clean energy through university and other foundation endowments across the country

5. Produce clean, locally-generated electrons every time the sun shines

Heeding a national call to action in 1990, a group of dedicated volunteers had the vision and grit to organize the first Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair in Central Wisconsin.

With their commitment to fostering public dialogue about our country’s energy future,

our founders created a simple yet powerful mission: to promote renewable energy,

energy efficiency, and sustainable living through education and demonstration.

This mission catalyzed the formation of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association

and has grown our commitment to practical solutions, individual empowerment, and

community action.

For 25 years, people from across the Midwest have been drawn to this effort. Thousands

have come to the MREA driven by the desire to be part of a broader community

working to make their place and our place a better place.

Guided by the principles of our founders, the MREA has given voice and vote to the ideas

that are moving the market today. In the process, we have gained national recognition as

a leader in renewable energy training and education. Despite the serious challenges we

still face in our transition to a sustainable energy economy, our efforts over the last

quarter century have given us hope and strengthened our commitments.

Today our work is driven by a simple concept: Facilitate and Replicate. This will be our key focus in coming years.

Renewable energy is presenting tremendous opportunity to families,

businesses, and communities in the Midwest. To take full advantage, we

need a broad base of educated stakeholders showcasing the benefits of

investment and advancing policies and processes that support the growth

of the clean energy economy.

We reach these audiences through our core programming:

• The Energy Fair, our annual flagship event, attracts 20,000 people to our model campus and headquarters.

• Our award-winning, accredited renewable energy training programs serve more than 400 industry professionals, home and business owners, and community leaders each year.

Support our effort to make the Midwest a clean energy leader!You can help our work to grow solar! The size of a solar array is measured in watts and the larger the array the more power it provides. The more you support the Grow Solar Partnership, the more partners we can engage to support solar and grow the clean energy economy in the Midwest.

You can power MREA to grow solar at the following levels:• Watt Level Support: $25• Kilowatt Level Support: $100• Megawatt Level Support: $1,000• Gigawatt Level Support: $5,000 and above

Your contribution will help us power the clean energy revolution! Donations of any amount are accepted.

How does your contribution help grow solar in the Midwest?• Every $25 supports technical review of a student site assessment,

developing a clean energy workforce!

• Every $100 supports a community presentation on the benefits of solar, growing solar in midwestern cities!

• Every $1,000 supports a technical training for electrical inspectors and municipal officials to grow solar in their communities!

• Every $5,000 supports technical training for installers, educators, and solar professionals at The Energy Fair!

Visit solarendowment.org to contribute today.

Why is supporting our work in renewable energy education so important?Stakeholders across the U.S. have been actively debating solutions to our energy

challenges since the 1970s. The conversation is complex however some facts about

our energy economy are undeniable:

1. The vast majority of energy used in the US comes from limited fossil fuel resources

2. Fossil fuel extraction and delivery is getting more complicated and more expensive

3. Renewable energy has been dramatically decreasing in cost with a host of technologies currently providing similar or improved financial returns compared to fossil fuels

4. Homes, businesses, communities, and utilities across the country are demonstrating the lasting benefits they are receiving from renewable energy investment

How serious is our addiction to fossil fuels? How much environmental and social damage

are we causing as we push the frontiers of extraction? How much time do we have to

transition to clean energy?

We appreciate debate. There is always more to learn. However, our experience, our

analysis, and our intuition are all in agreement on one fundamental point:

The time is now.

midwest renewable energy association 7558 deer road, custer, wi 54423 www.midwestrenew.org

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