In the News

inthenews

Media coverage of Everybody Solar's notable solar energy campaigns and victories will be listed on this page.

We are a new start-up non-profit. If you are a media representative interested in the Everybody Solar story, or an individual who would like to suggest a publication, please contact Rachel Brown, Communications Director.

Media Contact: Rachel Brown
Marketing & Communications Director
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Solar for All

solar install 2 small Sustainable Industries - May 8th, 2013

Everybody Solar is breaking ground this week on its inaugural solar installation, a 21.5 kW project for Rebuilding Together Peninsula (RTP). The project was born from a successful fundraising effort that kicked off in May of last year and attracted over 100 individual and corporate donors. The installation will help power RTP’s Redwood City headquarters, saving the nonprofit over $150,000 throughout the system’s 25-year lifetime.

The solar energy revolution is sweeping through California, and homeowners and businesses are leveraging solar to improve their budgets and produce energy locally. Nonprofits – as non-taxable entities that do not qualify for tax credits – have traditionally been precluded from benefiting from solar incentives and shut out from solar leasing provisions. Through crowd-funding, Everybody Solar enables non-profits to get the same benefits from solar that homeowners and businesses get, allowing them to save money on their energy bill and thus them give more support to their communities.

Read the full article here.

Everybody Solar helping nonprofits go green... for free

SunnyHeart Venture Beat - March 29th, 2013
Everybody Solar is helping charities like the Bay Area low-income home rehab volunteer organization Rebuilding Together Peninsula go green by accessing the free energy of the sun — with free solar panels, to boot.

This week, Everybody Solar funded the installation of a 13.5 kW system on the roof of the Redwood City-based nonprofit organization, which will save Rebuilding Together Peninsula (RTP) about $100,000 over the course of its 20-year life-span.

“We want to help nonprofits free up their resources to fund their projects,” Everybody Solar representative Liz Oh told me today. “So we’re bringing them renewable energy to help them benefit from going solar and getting free and clean energy.”

Read the full article here.

Everybody Solar to Kick Off Flagship Solar Project for Rebuilding Together Peninsula

rtp group - from website Redwood City, CA - March 27, 2013

Solar Non-Profit Completes Final Funding Round for Redwood City Project Non-profit organizations

Everybody Solar announced today that it has surpassed its fundraising goal of $34,000 and can now begin its inaugural solar project, a 13.5 kW system on the roof of Rebuilding Together Peninsula (RTP). The fundraising effort kicked off in May of last year and has attracted approximately 100 donors to date. This installation will bring much needed solar power to RTP’s Redwood City headquarters, saving the nonprofit close to $100,000 throughout the system’s life.

“The compound savings this project will provide the community are what drew us to helping Rebuilding Together Peninsula. For each dollar we raise, RTP will save $2.20, and each dollar RTP spends on home improvement makes a difference to a neighbor in need. We’re proud to be able to help non-profits like RTP save money and expand their operations with solar power,” says Youness Scally, Executive Director and Co-founder of Everybody Solar.

Everybody Solar Honored As 2012 Top-Rated Nonprofit

San Francisco, CA - January 7, 2013

Everybody Solar announced today that it has been honored with a prestigious 2012 Top-Rated Award by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews about nonprofit organizations.

“We are excited to be named a Top-Rated 2012 Nonprofit,” says Youness Scally, Executive Director, Everybody Solar. “We are proud of our accomplishments this year, including launching our first project to bring solar to nonprofit Rebuilding Together Peninsula.”

The Top-Rated Nonprofit award was based on the large number of positive reviews that Everybody Solar received – reviews written by volunteers, donors and clients. People posted their personal experience with the nonprofit. For example, one person wrote,

Solar Crowdfunding in California - Part 2 - Everybody Solar

energycollectivelogo The Energy Collective - December 18, 2012

As the price of solar has plummeted and leases have become more widespread, many more Americans have been able to go solar. But what about the 75% who can’t?

More options are emerging for solar for the rest of us -- including Mosaic’s new online marketplace, which is making it possible for people to invest in community solar projects and earn solid returns.

This three-part series profiles some other startups that are paving the way to spread solar to all.

Just across the bay from Mosaic in San Francisco, three young entrepreneurs are finding new ways to crowdfund solar projects -- and include the 75%. Not content to wait for someone else to do something, they’re taking matters into their own hands, rolling up their sleeves, and making projects happen.

Empowering the 75% through nonprofits

Youness Scally founded Everybody Solar in 2011. Its mission is to help nonprofits go solar, thereby benefitting not only the environment but also the nonprofit’s budget. By reducing its power bills, a nonprofit can focus resources on its programs instead of on operating costs. And that helps the community the nonprofit serves. Everybody Solar focuses on local nonprofits that work to help the people with the greatest need in the community or who are doing environmental work.

Read the full article here.

Everybody Solar Chooses Non-Profit Rebuilding Together For Flagship Project

RTP Logo Redwood City, CA - May 31, 2012

Non-profit organizations Everybody Solar and Rebuilding Together Peninsula (RTP) have launched a new effort to bring solar power to the rooftop of RTP’s Redwood City headquarters, greening the 501c(3) charity’s community focused efforts and potentially saving them several thousand dollars a year on utility costs.

Everybody Solar chose Rebuilding Together Peninsula as their first solar project because of RTP's strong impact on a disadvantaged and often over-looked community. Rebuilding Together Peninsula rehabilitates homes and community facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area Peninsula for low-income homeowners and neighbors — seniors, disabled, or families — so they can live independently in warmth and safety. Once complete, the solar project will free up funds the organization currently uses to pay its utility costs, allowing them to provide more help to neighbors in need.

“We are thrilled to partner with Everybody Solar,” says Seana O'Shaughnessy, RTP Executive Director. “Incorporating green construction and energy efficient practices into our rehab projects has become one of our top priorities. With the help of Everybody Solar, we can implement these principles at our own facility. Additionally, the annual cost savings is significant — allowing us to complete more projects each year.”

HERO Newsletter- Spotlight on Founder Youness Scally

January 27, 2012

Volume 3 of the HERO Newsletter highlights Youness Scally, Executive Director of Everybody Solar. As a student of the Effective Green Business Marketing course at Ohlone College, Youness gained insight into Green Business management and met new colleagues and other eco-entrepreneurs in the San Francisco Bay Area.

View the HERO Newsletter

This Newsletter provides current and important Home Performance industry news and analysis in connection with the Home Energy Retrofit Occupations (HERO) Program for industry professionals, for those looking to transfer into the Home Performance industry, and for individuals who would like to advance their skill set in this arena.

Volume 3: January 2012

Industry News and Updates

Home Performance Industry Applauds New Energy Efficiency Tax Credit Legislation

The Cut Energy Bills at Home Act, introduced by Senators Snowe (R-Maine), Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Feinstein (D-Calif.) in November, 2011, if passed, would create the nation’s first performance-based energy efficiency tax credit for home retrofits. For the first time, homeowners would be rewarded with a federal tax credit for projects that achieve a percentage reduction in energy use, rather than for installing a certain piece of equipment. The legislation would provide tax credits of $2000-$5,000 for qualified residential energy efficiency retrofits that save 20-50% respectively, up to 30% of the cost of the retrofit.
read more...

National Solar Jobs Consensus 2011: A Review Of The U.S. Solar Workforce

Results from the latest industry research show that the solar industry has experienced an overall growth rate of 6.8% over the past year, nearly 10 times higher than the national average employment growth rate of 0.7%. Solar job growth over the next 12 months is anticipated to be almost 24%, representing approximately 24,000 additional new jobs. The research findings illustrate a potential trend toward specialization. More firms appear to be contracting out portions of their solar work, including administrative, on-site installation, and other parts of the installation process. Employers see value in credentials, but for installers, on-the-job apprenticeship programs or other training that includes experience-based learning are the most desirable pathways to employment, but these programs take significant time to complete.

$300,000 in Federal Grants for SETA's Clean Energy On-The-Job Training Program

The Green On-Job-Training program, funded by the California Energy Commission and the Employment Development Department, will reimburse employers 50-70% of the wages paid to trainees for 3-6 months of training. The program will put unemployed people back to work while learning skills that are needed for the jobs of the future. Energy Commissioner Karen Douglas explains that “under the Energy Upgrade California Program, successful partners, such as SETA and small business leader Beutler, have trained and employed hundreds of workers in the Sacramento area while reducing homeowners energy bills."

Additional Recent Industry Links

Upcoming HERO Courses

February 7 – March 8 Tuesday/Thursday 4-7pm	Effective Green Business Marketing	Provides knowledge & tools to market & acquire customers for green businesses.	Skyline College
March 13 – April 19 Days/Times TBD	Solar Sales & Professional Development	Provides skills & knowledge to sell solar energy systems & solutions.	Ohlone College
May 2012 Days/Times TBD	Energy Efficiency Opportunities for Realtors & Mortgage Professionals	Home energy efficiency financing options & how to leverage Energy Upgrade CA rebate program.	Ohlone College
June 2012 Days/Times TBD	Building Performance Assessment/Sales	Qualify to conduct/sell home energy assessments.	Ohlone College

For questions and to start the WIA application process, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

What is HERO?

The HERO program is funded through a Department of Labor grant and aims to fulfill the need for training a new workforce in the home performance industry, improve both local and regional economic development, and sustain and grow current and future program activities with its project partners.

Host San Mateo County Workforce Investment Board, in partnership with Cañada College, Ohlone College, Skyline College and the Alameda County Workforce Investment Board, will provide training and career pathways in selected home performance careers. Other HERO partners include the Home Performance Resource Center, Strategic Energy Innovations and Swords to Plowshares.

Student Spotlight

HERO graduate Youness Scally is the Founder and Executive Director of Everybody Solar, a newly launched non-profit organization with the mission of providing local charities with free solar power to help reduce their energy costs and redirect their limited resources towards the communities they serve. By reducing electricity costs, they help non-profits maximize their impact on their direct cause.

To ensure he was equipped with the knowledge, tools and resources to market and brand his new business venture, Youness took advantage of training offered through the HERO grant program and enrolled in the Effective Green Business Marketing class hosted by Ohlone College in Newark.

“The class taught the principles of how to effectively market any business, but was focused on applying these principles to "Green" businesses, which provided a great perspective for Everybody Solar. It showed me the importance of a marketing plan, and how to create one that serves as a reliable tool for our organization."

"The instructor and the many outstanding guest speakers provided me with a strong understanding of how to identify, narrow in on, and reach our target audience, how to use CRM to better manage my non-profit contacts and leads, the key elements of an effective website, and the importance of creating and practicing my elevator pitch for Everybody Solar."

"I came away from this class with new friends and colleagues in the green business field and a number of new tools, many of which I used towards the launch of our website everybodysolar.org, social media campaigns, press outreach, and other promotional marketing. I'm sure I will continue to use the skills I learned to help our business grow in the future.”

New Non-Profit, Everybody Solar, Helps U.S. Charities Go Solar

San Francisco, CA - December 15, 2011

A new charitable organization, Everybody Solar, helps both the environment and local U.S. communities thrive with the use of solar power. This young non-profit hits the eco-NPO scene with a fresh take on green people-focused charity.

“Our goal is to protect the environment and strengthen U.S. communities through solar energy projects. By providing solar power to local charities, we will help struggling organizations reduce electricity costs and direct their limited funds back into the communities they serve,” said Youness Scally, Executive Director of Everybody Solar. “There are tons of great charities that improve their communities here in the U.S., and it makes sense to save them money and make their communities greener at the same time.”