Through its Community Partner Funding offering, Energy Trust of Oregon offers higher incentives to trusted community-based organizations, which then pass those savings on to the customers they serve.   

One such organization is Seeds for the Sol. Founded in 2012, the Corvallis-based organization serves low-to-moderate income households and Hispanic and Latino families, connecting them to energy-saving upgrades.     

For one Seeds for the Sol customer, Community Partner Funding made home weatherization accessible.   

“I worked with Seeds for the Sol to get my 1950s home insulated and weather proofed. I did not know about the program when I began looking into insulation upgrades, so when an installer mentioned that I might qualify for a local incentive program that could cover 100% of my install price, I thought surely they had misspoken.   

Even now that over $18,000 dollars have been paid to local contractors and my house has a toasty envelope, I’m still in disbelief that such a comprehensive program exists.   

Kristi and the Seeds for the Sol team were incredibly responsive throughout the process. I was determined to use mineral wool after researching the options for retrofitting an insulated house. As it’s more difficult to order and install, most local contractors do not work with it. Kristi’s team helped me find local contractors who were happy to work with wool. It can be intimidating to ask contractors to do things a particular way, and Kristi’s team helped communicate with the installers on my behalf to make sure my voice was heard.   

I’m super grateful for the Seeds for the Sol team for making home weatherization accessible to lower-income families.”