The Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success (ORIS) based in Manchester, New Hampshire, is installing a ground-mount community solar project at its Fresh Start Farms in nearby Dunbarton.

ORIS provides land, training, and marketing support for member-farmers representing refugee communities from nine countries, including Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. The farmers bring agricultural experience from their native countries and adapt to farming and selling produce in the New England climate.

With the help of a grant from All Points North Foundation, ORIS will install a 142kW DC solar array at the farm that will generate an estimated 181,200 kWh annually.

The power will support operations at the farm, and additionally, through a unique utility model, the energy savings from the solar panels will be passed back to the individual farm members. That transfer will reduce their respective power bills by approximately $864 per year on average, generating thousands of dollars in savings annually for the new American farmers.

This large solar array and the unique utility model provide ORIS with a new opportunity in their mission to aid in resettlement of refugees and immigrants. The solar array will provide cost savings to ORIS Fresh Start Farms, as well as savings to the individual refugee families ORIS supports.

For more information: https://www.refugeesuccess.org