Navajo Nation Community Gains Energy Independence Through Solar + Storage from Sunnova and Generac
Hard Rock Chapter House in Navajo Nation is Now Powered by Clean, Resilient and Affordable Energy
HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sunnova Energy International Inc. (“Sunnova”) (NYSE: NOVA), Generac Power Systems, Inc. (“Generac”) (NYSE: GNRC), and San Francisco based non-profit, Empowered by Light (EBL), have partnered to bring resilient and clean energy to the Hard Rock Chapter House in the Navajo Nation with a free solar + battery storage system and 25 years of Sunnova’s industry leading service.
“For many years now, our people have been opposed to coal mining on our lands and we still feel the effects of the mining today. With this new project, we can finally shift to renewables and show our entire community the benefit s and resilience of nature by harnessing clean energy from the sun to power our daily activities at the Chapter House, while combating climate change,” said Jay Begay, Hard Rock Chapter House President, Navajo Nation. “Our community relies on the essential services provided at the Chapter House because we live in a very remote area. The Chapter’s goal is to continuously develop these services, and with the extra bill savings from our new solar + storage system, we aim to do just that – expand and better our resources for the people we serve.”
“The Hard Rock Chapter House serves as a central meeting place where the Navajo community is able to gather and this project was a chance for us to help make an impact by providing clean, reliable power, while also reducing their electricity bills to help them reinvest the savings to strengthen their community,” said Kelsey Hultberg, EVP, Communications and Sustainability, Sunnova. “We’re honored that we were able to help create a first of its kind solar + storage system in the Navajo Nation that includes our service. Even though the Chapter House is remote, in times of need this system will play a critical role in ensuring the community will have clean and reliable back-up power for years to come.”
To bring this project to life, Sunnova worked with Fusion Power, a Sunnova Dealer, to design a top-of-the-line Sunnova SunSafe® solar + storage system to meet the needs of the community. Sunnova and Generac worked together to equip and fund the 18-kilowatt solar system and 36kWh PWRcell™ energy storage system. Sunnova is providing a 25-year bumper-to-bumper Sunnova Protect® service warranty for the entire system.
“Generac is proud to support the Navajo Nation and help ensure that the community has much-needed resiliency and power when the sun isn’t shining,” said Keith Marett, President, Clean Energy – Commercial, Generac Power Systems. “Batteries allow for self-sufficiency in a way that solar alone doesn’t. The addition of a Generac PWRcell energy storage system to the solar installation means that the lights will stay on and the water will continue to run, even when the grid goes down.”
Through EBL, Sunnova identified this project as a key candidate for Sunnova’s adaptive solar + storage solution, with the goal of offsetting the Chapter House’s electricity bills and providing resiliency for the community. With over 270 sunny days a year, the Navajo Nation is the largest contiguous premium solar resource area in the Western United States, according to ScienceDirect. This abundant clean energy resource can power scalable solar installations like the solar + storage system, and create not only savings, but also promote solar as an education, work force development and cultural preservation tool.
“About 14,000 Navajo families are still living without access to electricity, so in addition to having more resources for the community thanks to the utility bill savings from the Sunnova system, the Chapter House can continue serving as a great resource for the community when the grid fails,” said Moira Hanes, Executive Director and Co-Founder, EBL. “Community members can continue to gather, and also cook food, get emergency supplies, and stay warm in the winter since many homes don’t have a heat source.”
A Chapter House is similar to a town council where community members can gather for key meetings and have access to services, like distribution of hay, free trash disposal, faxing, printing, notarizing, blading unpaved roads, and more. Instead of having to drive long periods of time outside the reservation to complete daily tasks, residents are able to stay local and even save money on gas.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or Sunnova’s future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “going to,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplates,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions that concern Sunnova’s expectations, strategy, priorities, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the savings and other benefits provided by the solar and battery storage systems. Sunnova’s expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results in future periods are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including risks regarding our ability to forecast our business due to our limited operating history, the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on our business and operations, results of operations and financial position, our competition, changes in regulations applicable to our business, fluctuations in the solar and home-building markets, availability of capital, supply chain uncertainty, our ability to attract and retain dealers and customers and our dealer and strategic partner relationships. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in Sunnova’s filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Sunnova as of the date hereof, and Sunnova disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
About Sunnova
Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE: NOVA) is a leading energy service provider with customers across the U.S. and its territories. Sunnova’s goal is to be the source of clean, affordable and reliable energy with a simple mission: to power energy independence so that homeowners have the freedom to live life uninterrupted®.
For more information, please visit sunnova.com
About Generac
Generac Power Systems, Inc. (NYSE: GNRC) is a leading energy technology company that provides advanced power grid software solutions, backup and prime power systems for home and industrial applications, solar + battery storage solutions, virtual power plant platforms and engine- and battery-powered tools and equipment. Founded in 1959, Generac introduced the first affordable backup generator and later created the category of automatic home standby generator – a market in which nearly eight of ten generators sold is a Generac. The company is committed to sustainable, cleaner energy products poised to revolutionize the 21st century electrical grid.
About Empowered by Light
Empowered by Light is a U.S. 501(c)3 organization empowering vulnerable communities on the frontlines of climate change, wildlife loss and environmental devastation. EBL has completed more than 50 solar and energy storage projects in nine countries–including eight in Sub-Saharan Africa, 21 in Puerto Rico, 14 in the Amazon and four for Native American communities in the U.S. EBL’s projects are helping school-age children study better, supporting conservation and wildlife protection efforts, and building more resilient communities. Visit empoweredbylight.org to learn more.
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