Clean energy that communities can own.
Our Sustainable Energy Research program focuses on technologies and ownership models that put clean power in the hands of the people who depend on it. We study, pilot, and document what works at the scale of a community garden, a co-op, or a neighborhood.
Areas of work
- Small-scale solar deployments at partner sites (gardens, training centers, shared workspaces).
- Battery and storage research focused on safety, longevity, and affordability.
- Microgrid and shared-power-ownership pilots for cooperatives and intentional communities.
- Energy literacy training so partners can run, repair, and expand their own systems.
Why it matters
Energy is one of the largest fixed costs for any nonprofit, co-op, or community space. Lowering those costs and decoupling them from fossil fuel markets makes everything else our partners do more sustainable.
Get involved
Engineers, electricians, energy researchers, and grant writers all have a place here. We are especially interested in collaborations with community solar developers, rural electric co-ops, and educational institutions.