LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Jewish Solar Challenge is excited to announce the opening of its 2024 grant application cycle on Aug. 21. All Jewish nonprofits including synagogues, Jewish schools and Jewish camps that own their buildings and pledge to install solar panels are eligible for matching grants up to $50,000. Applications are due by Sept. 20, and winners will be announced at the end of November.
Veteran communications executive and environmentalist Mitchell Schwartz founded the Jewish Solar Challenge in Los Angeles in 2022 with the dream of putting solar panels on the rooftops of every Jewish organization in North America. So far, Jewish Solar Challenge has awarded grants to seven organizations including Temple Israel of Hollywood, Temple Beth Am, Berkeley Hillel and Camp Tawonga.
JSC plans to award over $300,000 in grants in November, bringing the total amount awarded for solar panels to nearly $1 million since the organization launched.
“Our goal is to help combat climate change while also slashing the operating costs for Jewish organizations across America,” Schwartz said. “We know many institutions are reluctant to invest in solar because it typically takes more than five years to recoup the costs. With the Jewish Solar Challenge cutting those costs in half, it reduces their payback time, making solar more attainable to Jewish organizations that want to make a difference.”
Temple Israel of Hollywood, the first recipient of a JSC grant, has abated an estimated 282,326 lbs. of CO2, the equivalent of planting over 13,000 trees or taking five cars off the road. Berkeley Hillel installed a 36.4 kWh array of panels with a 13.5 kWh Tesla Powerwall Battery in March 2022 and has experienced other benefits.
“We lost power one day, and the lights, Wi-Fi, and refrigeration all stayed on so we didn’t have to close the building,” said Berkeley Hillel COO Emily Hirschman. “Thanks to the solar panels, we were able to still welcome students to study here when the rest of the campus didn’t have power.”
The first round of the 2024 application opens to interested groups on Aug. 21. JSC will prioritize organizations with existing quotes for solar that are “shovel ready.” Jewish Solar Challenge is also looking for partners committed to broadening their sustainability efforts beyond solar energy.
“JSC really opened our eyes to focus not only on solar but on institutional sustainability,” said Mark Samuel, the immediate past president of Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles, which received a JSC grant in 2022 and completed its solar installation in March. “We introduced more recycling bins, installed low-flow toilets and faucets, upgraded to LED lighting, enhanced energy efficiency measures, and implemented composting on our site. Our goal is to reduce our carbon footprint overall. This initiative was a great catalyst to move things ahead, and it provided a meaningful way to focus on Shmita, a year of growth and rebirth.”
Qualified applicants will move on to the final round of the grant process. Before final applications are due, sustainability professionals at JSC will work directly with the organizations to curate specific initiatives aimed at making their community more sustainable. Final applications are due Nov. 1, and winners will be announced at the end of November. Interested Jewish organizations can apply at www.jewishsolarchallenge.com.
ABOUT JEWISH SOLAR CHALLENGE: Jewish Solar Challenge (JSC) is a nonprofit organization that addresses the climate crisis by facilitating the fiscal and environmental sustainability of Jewish community institutions through the installation of solar panels. JSC provides financial support for the installation of solar panels, as well as training, education and advocacy of community members.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/29761327-f066-4a07-a3be-f42cf2bee4ff