“Renewable energy is not just the way of the future, it’s the way of now,” Says Founder, Hope Swinimer “It is absolutely becoming more common in our area – we even learned about this opportunity through a neighbor of ours who is welcoming solar energy to their home. One of our volunteers, who currently drives a fully electric car, is also purchasing her own solar panels. The great thing about renewable energy becoming more common is that the more people who embrace it, the more people are able to realize that it is a completely viable option for their lifestyle. The more people research and look into renewable energy sources, the more that they will see that it makes financial sense for almost everyone.”

Hope for Wildlife is installing 109 solar panels on the property in Seaforth, Nova Scotia. Using these solar panels, we will move our organization from fossil fuels to green energy. The provincial approval confers only permission to install the panels and sell the power — it doesn’t include money for the infrastructure and panels themselves. The $150,000 will be a big investment for HfW. Drawing upon Nova Scotia renewable energy abundance, HfW’s main building already uses a passive solar design and incorporates geothermal heating systems. HfW has been approved for a 30 kW solar installation. Using Nova Scotia Power’s example, if the owner sold the power for 25 cents per kWh, that could bring in $8,250 per year.

“Hope for Wildlife is incredibly excited to have this solar project on site – each year, thousands of people come to our facility for guided tours,” Swinimer said. “When our solar panels are being introduced, the public will be able to see how the project progresses from start to finish. This allows people to see how it may be a viable option for their property, or may encourage them to research other, more suitable options for their lifestyles. In addition, we will have constantly updating data on how much power has been produced that day, how much money we’re saving, how many animals we’ve been able to save with the additional funds, and all kinds of really interesting facts that the public aren’t usually privy to. It will be an all encompassing, unique experience for our supporters to be up close to the panels and to see these details.”