With completion of LED lighting replacement, Global Links reduces energy use, will generate 100% of energy needs via its solar roof
PITTSBURGH (June 9, 2022) – Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Global Links today celebrated the completion of Phase II of its Energy Independence Project by flipping the switch on its newly installed LED lighting and motion sensor system. The reduction in energy use resulting from the replacement, coupled with energy generated from the 10,000 square-foot solar array installed on its headquarters as part of Phase I, will allow Global Links to produce 100% of its own energy needs, with the goal of achieving Net Zero.
More than 250 lighting fixtures (approximately 700 bulbs) at the Global Links offices and warehouse in Green Tree were replaced with energy efficient LED fixtures. Motion-activated sensors were also installed to control lighting in the 58,000 square-foot facility, further reducing energy usage. Phase II lighting changes reduce energy consumption to a level that will be fully met by the solar array on the Global Links roof, saving approximately $15,000 annually in utility costs. Installation of the new lighting system, as well as the 10,000 square-foot solar array, was made possible thanks to $177,000 in grants from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, fully funding Phase I and II of Global Links’ Energy Independence Project.
“We are grateful to Green Mountain Energy Sun Club for making this journey to energy independence possible,” said Angela Garcia, Global Links executive director. “This transition not only lessens our environmental impact, but it also enables us to channel the cost savings directly into our work rescuing medical surplus to serve the most vulnerable in local communities and around the world. The $15,000 we save each year will allow us to provide the equivalent of a semi-truck full of home medical supplies for local seniors; breathing machines for asthma patients; sutures to perform safe C Sections to save mothers’ and babies’ lives; hospital beds for clinics damaged by natural disasters; wheelchairs for those who lack mobility and independence; and more.”
Global Links’ journey to fully generate its own energy began in 2020 with the installation of new reflective roofing and a 63.2kW solar array consisting of 162 bi-facial solar panels on a section of its rooftop. In 2021, those panels produced 77.72 MWh, the equivalent of powering 6.4 homes per year for 25 years and the carbon equivalent of saving 6,000 gallons of gasoline per year, for 25 years. The Phase I rooftop installation project was made possible through an innovative financing tool offered by Scalo Solar Solutions, LLC, and through a grant provided by Green Mountain Energy Sun Club.
“Our goal with Sun Club grants is to promote sustainability in the community while supporting important causes. Nonprofit organizations understand better than anyone else their communities’ needs and the best ways to meet them,” said Mark Parsons, Green Mountain Energy vice president. “With the installation of new LED lighting, Global Links will not only be able to reduce its carbon footprint but also save funds to support its core mission. This is a great example of what we are able to achieve by working with nonprofits.”
Since 2002, Green Mountain Energy Sun Club has been empowering local communities by donating nearly $11.7 million to 143 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. Sun Club supports projects promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, education and awareness, clean transportation, and sustainable agriculture.
The third phase of Global Links’ Energy Independence Project will include installation of additional reflective roofing and solar panels on the remaining 40,000 square feet of roof surface. Completion of Phase III will allow the organization to produce substantially more energy than is required for its own needs and provide clean energy to a partner in the Green Tree community. More information will be available in future months as the planning progresses.
###
About Global Links
Global Links is a Pittsburgh-based non-profit dedicated to improving health in communities with need. Global Links collaborates with U.S. healthcare institutions and the community to rescue hundreds of tons of high-quality surplus medical materials every year. These materials are shared with public health facilities around the world and with non-profit organizations in Western Pennsylvania that are providing care for their community’s most vulnerable people. For more information, visit www.globallinks.org.
About Green Mountain Energy Sun Club
Green Mountain Energy is changing the way power is made and advancing sustainable communities through the work of Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. Since its founding in 2002, Sun Club® has donated more than $11 million to 143 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. Sun Club collaborates with nonprofit organizations on projects that focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship. To learn more about Green Mountain Energy and Sun Club or to apply for a Sun Club grant, visit greenmountain.com/sunclub.
Media Contact:
Laura Ellis / lellisveritaspr.com / 412.952.7844
Green Mountain Energy
