E4H partners with other organizations such as Solar United Neighbors (SUN), Baker Ripley, and South Union Community Development Corporation (SUCDC) to identify candidates, deliver information and execute projects.
Projects:
In 2024, e4H with help from Houston Community College (HCC) Solar installation students, completed the installation of a 6.2kW solar system at Hope Farms in Houston’s Sunnyside community. The Sol-Ark inverter powers the store, barn, and kitchen areas. The SimpliPhi batteries will power the produce refrigerators during a power outage.
Also with the help of HCC students, e4H rehabilitated the 8kW solar system at Houston Yoga and Ayurveda. Two new charge controllers and a 20kWh battery bank were installed. A communication cable was replaced and the control module repositioned to allow for online monitoring of the system.
At the end of 2022, e4H and SUN commissioned two pilot homes with 5kW solar systems. Potential candidates were identified by Baker Ripley. These candidates had completed home energy efficiency projects with Baker Ripley and were considered viable candidates for a solar installation. The participants were offered zero interest 10-year loans by Wolfe Energy (Dori Wolfe President) for approximately 50% of the project. The balance was paid by e4H and utility incentives. The goal of the project was for the recipients to experience a 20% reduction in combined electricity and solar payments in the first 10 years and 100% solar benefit thereafter. The recipients are being offered ongoing energy management and provider selection support from e4H and SUN to assure they are getting maximum benefits.
Education and Workforce Development:
The next 10 week Solar Installation class (Cadre 4) will begin on March 24th, 2025 on MTW from 6 – 9 p.m. at Houston Community College South Campus. To learn more or to enroll click HERE. Scholarships are available!
Cadres 1 – 3 included a total of 22 students, 16 of whom took and passed the Electrical Technician Association International (ETA-I) Level 1 Solar Installer exam and became certified solar installers. All students also completed the Iron Ridge hands-on installation program where they installed a 6 panel system on a training roof.
In the Fall of 2021 and 2022, in collaboration SUN and SUCDC, e4H founder Gabriel Cuadra along with William (Bill) Swann taught solar installation classes at Sunnyside Community Center in Houston. See Bill’s videos on YouTube. The motivation for the Sunnyside location is to prepare potential workforce for the Sunnyside Energy Solar Project. There were approximately 25 students in the 2021 class and 15 students in the 2022 class. In both cases, students were provided a course text, Understanding Photovoltaics by Jay Warmke and a hand-held multi meter to keep free of charge. Hands on labs were completed in the classroom to complement the academic concepts taught and students were given the opportunity to install field systems with SUCDC.