NeighborWorks fixes up its own home with solar

A local non-profit that helps revitalize neighborhoods and helps thousands of families purchase homes made a major investment on its own building.

NeighborWorks Green Bay unveiled its solar panel installation project Tuesday where 185 solar panels now line its roof.

The 66 kilowatt system is expected to save NeighborWorks around $7,000 in energy costs, which they say is money that can go towards mission work in the community. Since 2007 they have assisted up to 3,000 families in purchasing a home.

"A lot of folks see the houses that we fix up around the neighborhoods, and if you just realize that for every one of those houses there's 20 other families in that neighborhood that we helped buy homes, it's pretty exciting,” says NeighborWorks president Noel Halvorsen.

Grants from Focus on Energy and Renew Wisconsin along with a $23,000 check from the Schneider Foundation helped offset the cost of the project. The check from the Schneider Foundation was to honor the company’s connection to the building.

"We just thought it was a wonderful fit because of the history of this building with Schneider and its beginnings, and then also because of the work that NeighborWorks does -- they do just such a fabulous job trying to build up our communities," says Schneider Foundation Director Luellen Oskey.