PG&E on Saturday (Aug. 6) handed six families the keys to the first Habitat for Humanity homes in Morgan Hill.
PG&E’s Amanda Armfield welcomes the Montes family to their new home in Morgan Hill.
The ceremony was the culmination of more than 18 months of volunteer labor and hard work. The effort was made possible through civic support and funding from numerous individuals, businesses and foundations, as well as volunteer labor, including time donated by PG&E employees.
“This has changed the trajectory of my family,” said new homeowner Elaine Hays. “This has changed the future for my children.”
PG&E, a major Habitat for Humanity sponsor, has provided nearly $6 million in solar funding over the past five years in Northern and Central California communities as part of the Solar Habitat program. The utility donated and installed solar panels for each of the homes, bringing total contributions to Silicon Valley Habitat to $200,000.
Each of the solar panels on the Morgan Hill homes will save the homeowners about $500 a year in energy costs.
PG&E donated and installed solar panels for the six Morgan Hill homes.
“We are proud to be a part of today’s celebration, donating the solar panels you see on each of the six homes,” said Amanda Armfield, PG&E’s Solar Habitat program manager. “We hope to extend Habitat’s mission of not only providing affordable housing, but housing that remains affordable over the course of the lifetime spent in it.”
In addition to lowering energy bills for these families through solar technology, the program also promotes energy literacy throughout underserved communities and increases enrollment in PG&E’s free energy assistance programs for low-income families.
