On Tuesday (12/17/24), Kendal-Crosslands (KCC) got a check for nearly $42,000 from the federal government. It represents a 30% rebate on the cost of the solar panels installed at Crosslands on the new Woolman apartment building and on the parking shelters for the new Mott cottages.

A few years ago, nonprofit organizations like KCC could not get money back on solar projects. The program existed then, but the rebates were only given as tax deductions. Nonprofits don’t pay federal taxes, of course, so a reduction in federal taxes was not an option.

The Inflation Reduction Act changed that situation, and now nonprofits can get direct payments from the government for various energy-related improvements, including solar panels. Nicole Schlosser, our Director of Finance, spent a lot of time over the past year going through the cumbersome application process, and now that has paid off.

Nicole tells me that the money will go “right back into the Environmental Fund for more projects.”

We expect to be able to get a similar 30% rebate for the system that is currently being installed on Kendal’s expanded healthcare wing, once it is in service—assuming the program survives in the new administration.