{"id":5864,"date":"2022-02-06T11:58:35","date_gmt":"2022-02-06T19:58:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/olysolar.wpengine.com\/?p=5864"},"modified":"2023-02-06T17:41:37","modified_gmt":"2023-02-07T01:41:37","slug":"hummingbird-sunny-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/olysol.org\/es\/hummingbird-sunny-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Hummingbird Community Solar Project Receives SUNNY AWARD"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Hummingbird Community Solar project <\/b>is a finalist for a\u00a0SUNNY<\/span>\u00a0AWARD<\/span><\/a>!<\/b><\/h3>\n

The only Washington state project on the list!\u00a0 “The Sunny<\/span>\u00a0Awards<\/span>\u00a0for Equitable Community Solar (The\u00a0Sunny<\/span>\u00a0Awards<\/span>) is a $100,000 prize competition that recognizes community solar projects and programs that employ or develop best practices to increase equitable access to the meaningful benefits of community solar for subscribers and their communities.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A big thankyou to our staff member Zachery Miller who led the application effort. <\/span>On January 17th, 2023 our team traveled to the Sunny Award Ceremony in San Diego California.<\/p>\n

While we did not receive the grand prize, the Hummingbird project received awards in two special benefit categories: innovation in community ownership and innovation in community outreach!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Learn more about the sunny awards<\/a> here.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the Hummingbird Project<\/a> here.<\/p>\n

Thank you for your support these last three years!<\/p>\n

All my best,<\/p>\n

Mason Rolph<\/p>\n

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An excerpt from our Sunny Award Submission:<\/strong><\/p>\n

In fall 2019, after the defeat of a climate related ballot initiative by fossil fuel interests, a small group
\nof climate activists in Olympia Washington decided to take local action to address climate change.<\/p>\n

Frustrated by local, state, and federal inaction to address the climate crisis, the group investigated
\nsolutions that could reduce emissions while lifting up vulnerable community members.
\nAfter identifying a site for the project and securing support from the local municipality, the group
\nfounded a nonprofit organization, Olympia Community Solar, to sponsor the solar project. The team
\nsolicited solar proposals from local contractors, developed a community funding model, and opened
\nenrollment for the 117 kW Hummingbird Community Solar Project in April of 2020.<\/p>\n

The project\u2019s name \u201cHummingbird\u201d was inspired by a story told by Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan
\nsocial, environmental, and political activist. The story describes a terrible fire that broke out in a
\nforest. Frightened, all the animals fled their homes and ran from the forest. As they came to safety at
\nthe edge of a stream, they stopped to watch the fire and they were feeling very discouraged and
\npowerless. They were all bemoaning the destruction of their homes when a little hummingbird flew
\nout of the woods. It swooped into the stream and picked up a drop of water and flew away to put it
\non the fire. The other animals watched in disbelief and one asked \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d And the
\nhummingbird looked back and said, \u201cI am doing what I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

The solar project is named Hummingbird because it created opportunities for people to participate in
\nlocal, tangible climate action.<\/p>\n

The main goals of this project are to:<\/p>\n