Solar-powered food bank saves resources, potential GOP budget cuts impede comparable projects.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina Activates Large-Scale Rooftop Solar Array
In a significant step towards sustainability, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina has activated a 1-megawatt solar array on its facility in Winston-Salem. This project, one of the largest rooftop solar projects in North Carolina, was not part of the original construction of the food bank's headquarters, which was built in 2019.
The food bank, which rescues food that would have ended up in landfills to feed those in need, initially received advice in 2019 that a rooftop solar array would be too expensive. However, two years later, in Earth Day 2025, Second Harvest and the Piedmont Environmental Alliance activated the solar array.
Beth Bealle, Second Harvest's director of philanthropy, stewardship, and engagement, emphasized the importance of sustainability in food banking. She and Will Eley, the Piedmont Environmental Alliance's new green jobs program manager, met at the Earth Day Fair in April 2023. Together, they worked to incorporate the Inflation Reduction Act's clean energy incentives into the food bank's solar plan.
Second Harvest Food Bank started planning the construction of a new headquarters in Winston-Salem in 2019. The organization aimed to push sustainability concepts in other aspects of their work, including their facility. During the planning stage, the team considered installing solar panels, but the project was not included in the initial construction.
The 1-megawatt solar array was not installed until after the Inflation Reduction Act was implemented. The Axpo Group, a Swiss energy company, put a 1-megawatt solar project into operation on April 25, 2025, on their roof; however, details about the previous size of their newly built building are not provided in the search results.
The activation of the solar array marks a significant milestone for Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina. The organization continues to strive for sustainability in its operations and aims to push these concepts in other aspects of its work.
Read also:
- Trump administration faces lawsuit by Denmark's Ørsted over halted wind farm project
- Unchecked Management of HP Dams Leads to Environmental Disaster: RTI Reveals
- Rapid advancements in automotive policies worldwide fuel transition towards electric vehicles
- CDU Hamm: Aim, Chosen Candidate, and Local Election Agenda
