Frontier Energy, Inc. announced it is one of the Phase 1 winners of the U.S. Department of Energy prize, Solutions for Lasting, Viable Energy Infrastructure Technologies (SOLVE IT). The funding will advance Frontier Energy’s initiative, titled “Comunicades Del Sol”, an effort to build small-scale pilot solar installations in underrepresented and low-income communities in Texas.
“It is great to be recognized for our team’s innovations in financing solar for the benefit of low-income Texans,” Steve Wiese, Director and Team Lead of Frontier’s Implementation Services Team. “We are building a replicable and sustainable model that can greatly expand the applications of rooftop solar in Texas, reduce energy poverty and insecurity, and improve grid resilience.”
A diverse group of partners contribute to the project team alongside Frontier Energy, including the Community Services Agency of South Texas Inc. (CSAST), the Carrizo Springs Housing Authority, the Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute, and the Texas Solar Energy Society. AEP Texas, an electric utility serving south and west Texas, and Solar Power Integrators, a solar installation company based in Corpus Christi, are also providing support.
“We are excited about the pilot rooftop solar project completed as part of the Comunidades Del Sol program at Villa de Reposo Apartments because it will help residents reduce energy costs,” said David Ojeda, Jr., Executive Director of CSAST. “We’ve been getting calls from around the community, and from around the state, from people who are interested in what’s going on.”
The SOLVE IT Prize is a DOE American Made Challenge, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as part of the Technology Commercialization Fund. It was created to empower communities to identify and implement innovative clean energy solutions. Prize recipients will collaborate with communities and stakeholders interested in clean energy planning, build a network of support for local clean energy or decarbonization projects, and develop plans to support the projects through completion.
