Plano Solar Advocates wins Community Partnership Award

On Sept. 25 the City of Plano presented the 2013 Environmental Community Awards (ECA) to honor outstanding environmental initiatives and achievements by schools, organizations, businesses and individuals throughout the community who make a difference.  Winners of the various awards were announced during the celebration luncheon at the Collin College Spring Creek Campus Living Legends Conference Center. Information is available at the Plano Environmental Community Awards website.

The Community Partnership Award recognizes an organization that has partnered with the City to accomplish an environmental objective that benefits the Plano community, or causes residents to take action to protect the environment in some way.  Plano Solar Advocates won this award for 2013.

Plano Solar Advocates is a grassroots group of volunteers with a passion for increasing awareness and expanding clean, local renewable energy, particularly the use of solar energy for electricity generation in Plano.  Their efforts have included delivering solar classes at local high schools, providing presentations at city sponsored energy seminars and local rotary clubs. Over the last year they have given 32 presentations to 1,220 people.  In addition, they have provided booths at local events like Learn 2 Live Green.  Their community involvement includes organizing solar projects and programs that impact the community.  Using solar car kits provided by the Texas Solar Energy Society, they taught solar energy to 14 PISD classes reaching 215 students while helping them assemble solar powered cars.  Their Solarize Plano initiative has connected homeowners ready to install solar with local qualified installers, and takes advantage of generous local utility incentives and a group purchase process resulting in lower costs to homeowners.

Some of our members were present to receive the award for all of our Plano Solar Advocates volunteers.  See the photo below which includes Plano's Mayor, Harry LaRosiliere, on the left side of the photo.  A link to the photo on Plano's website is given here - http://www.plano.gov/gallery.aspx?PID=695

Plano Solar Advocates Community Partnership Award

A complete summary and photos of the 2013 Plano Environmental Community Award Winners is available at Plano's Environmental Community Awards program website - http://www.plano.gov/index.aspx?NID=951
Please check out this website to learn more about the various group and individual initiatives happening all around Plano.

Shine On!
Plano Solar Advocate (LH)