Latimer House offsets electricity bill with solar donation

Latimer House offsets electricity bill with solar donation



By Sharon Sullivan
Free Press Staff Writer,

High Noon Solar gave a solar power system last month to Hilltop's Latimer House that will equal a donation of about $375 a year for 30 years — unless electricity rates go up. If that happens the savings will be greater.

The solar donation consists of 16 solar panels mounted to the roof of the Latimer House. The 3.2 kilowatt solar grid tie will offset the nonprofit organization's electricity bill for years to come, said Heidi Ihrke, co-owner of High Noon Solar.

The Latimer House provides shelter and other services to victims of domestic violence.

“This is a substantial donation,” said Karla Kitzman, Latimer House program coordinator. “It will be an ongoing, cost-savings every year.

“Having a donation like this will have a great impact to the longevity of our program.”

High Noon has given solar panels to different nonprofit organizations each year for the past three years.

The Latimer House gift makes the second solar donation by High Noon in 2010. The business gave a system earlier this year to The Western Slope Center for Children, a nonprofit dedicated to providing services to child sexual abuse victims and their families.

Each donation helps to offset the nonprofits' electricity bills by generating a portion of their electricity via the solar panels.

“This year we wanted to focus on the humanities,” Ihrke said. “In the past we've given to the arts (KAFM Community Radio, The Art Center). This year we wanted to focus on people.”


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