Corning’s Employee Solar Program voted as a top project by ENERGY STAR partners

Corning’s Employee Solar Program voted as a top project by ENERGY STAR partners

Corning program voted as a top project

A program that allows Corning employees to tap into solar energy and reduce their electric bills is receiving recognition.

Corning’s Employee Community Solar Program was recently voted as a top project by fellow ENERGY STAR® partner companies, and was presented at the annual ENERGY STAR industrial partners meeting.

The meeting, held Oct. 15-16, 2018, in Charlotte, North Carolina, was attended by representatives from some of the country’s top energy-efficient companies. Prior to the meeting, companies submitted descriptions of projects completed over the past year, and peers voted seven top projects to be presented at the meeting.

Corning submitted its Employee Community Solar Program, which kicked off this year for employees living in New York and Massachusetts.

“I was happy we could present this initiative to fellow ENERGY STAR companies,” said Carly Gaj, renewable energy project leader with Corning’s Global Energy Management (GEM) program. “The project promotes the use of clean energy, and it’s something other companies can mimic to further reduce greenhouse gases and protect our environment.”

For the program, Corning is working with a renewable energy company to make solar energy more accessible to employees living in states that have passed community solar related legislation. The program requires no at-home equipment installation, no upfront costs, and no cancellation or service fees.

The renewable energy company works with employees’ existing utility providers to offset the majority of a home, apartment, or small business’ electricity from a community solar field in the same utility load zone.

In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, participants also see savings on their electricity bill, in the form of a community solar credit.

“The program really is a win-win-win,” said Gaj. “We’re educating our employees about clean energy, they see a discount on their utility bill, and together, we’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help protect our environment.”