When a heat wave settles over Detroit’s East Side, or a summer storm knocks out power across North Philadelphia, the buildings that matter most to residents can often be health clinics, community centers or places of worship. They are the places where neighbors gather to cool down, charge phones, find a meal, or simply feel safe. And increasingly, thanks to solar plus storage projects, they are the places keeping the lights on when the power grid fails.

RE-volv is a clean energy access organization that helps nonprofits in underinvested communities across the country go solar.

“It’s a pretty simple idea,” said Andreas Karelas, Executive Director of RE-volv. Through an innovative solar financing model, nonprofits immediately save 10-15 percent or more on their electricity costs. “As organizations pay us back, we invest that money into more solar projects in communities across the country.”

The case for nonprofit solar projects has never been more urgent. Electricity prices have risen an average of 34% in just the past five years. Low-income households in the United States spend roughly three times more, measured as a percentage of their income, on energy than higher-income households.

In Michigan, for example, energy bills are at an all-time high; Michigan residents pay 18% higher than the U.S. average.

The communities carrying that energy burden are also disproportionately exposed to the consequences of a warming climate. NOAA recorded 27 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2024, and hurricane season alone displaced tens of thousands of families across the South and Gulf Coast. Meanwhile, solar financing that makes solar affordable for homes and businesses remains out of reach for most U.S. nonprofits, leaving the organizations closest to the crisis often furthest from the solution.

RE-volv’s model is designed to close that gap. As a nonprofit emerging CDFI, RE-volv finances and develops rooftop solar for nonprofits in underinvested communities that face significant barriers to accessing conventional loans and other solar financing products due to perceived risk. Solar then allows these nonprofits to reinvest the savings back into their community-serving mission.

The demand for this work is accelerating fast. In just the past three years, RE-volv’s annual project investment has grown from $1 million to $2 million to $7 million. In 2025 alone, that $7 million investment in 62 new projects will result in $11 million in utility bill savings over the systems’ lifetime.

Since the organization was founded 15years ago, RE-volv has helped nearly 140 nonprofits in 20 states go solar, collectively serving roughly 400,000 people.

Those projects have helped keep more than 155,000 tons of carbon emissions from going into the air and are projected to save participating organizations close to $46 million on electricity bills over their lifetimes.

In Michigan, RE-volv, along with the Justice Climate Fund (JCF) and the Michigan and Detroit CDFI Coalitions, were awarded a grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), to launch the Elective Pay Accelerator, a program designed to unlock sustainable investment for clean energy projects across the state.

Through local technical assistance and specialized financing programs, the Accelerator helps nonprofits access federal clean energy tax credits via Elective Pay. By removing the financial barriers to solar, community-serving organizations can redirect energy savings back into their core missions, said Joanna Dueweke-Perez, Co-Chair of the Climate Committee for the Michigan & Detroit CDFI Coalitions.

RE-volv explains that it’s not enough to do these projects. We have to communicate about them to motivate other residents and nonprofits to follow suit. “A big part of our mission is lifting up these stories—locally and nationally—to show the real benefits clean energy brings,” said Andreas Karelas.

Three Stories Behind the Numbers

Eastside Community Network

Eastside Community Network has been an important part of Detroit’s East Side community for more than 40 years. In 2025, ECN made the decision to transition to solar energy, allowing them to reduce their carbon footprint and save significant money on their energy bills. Solar savings are directly reinvested into infrastructure for their 17,000-square-foot resilience hub designed to shelter neighbors during heat waves, blackouts, and extreme storms.

Housing Unlimited

Housing Unlimited provides affordable, independent housing for adults in mental health recovery in Montgomery County, Maryland.

In partnership with RE-volv, GreenBrilliance and the Montgomery County Green Bank, Housing Unlimited is solarizing a portfolio of 40+[GU2.1] townhomes, with the majority of the solar systems now online. This initiative is projected to generate more than $1.7 million in utility bill savings over the systems’ lifetime. Through RE-volv’s financing, Housing Unlimited sees immediate monthly savings because their solar payments are structured to be lower than their previous utility costs.

YEAH Philly

Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout (YEAH Philly) is a Black-led, community-based nonprofit organization located in West and Southwest Philadelphia. They serve teens and young adults aged 15 to 24 who have been impacted by violence, with a special focus on young people in the juvenile system charged with a violent crime.

A new 12-kilowatt solar system, championed by young people and RE-volv’s Solar Ambassador fellows, now powers their work. More than 400 students have come through the Solar Ambassador program from over 30 universities, and more than 70 percent of alumni now work in clean energy.