SOLAR SUCCESS STORY: Moonbow at 2nd & Main
Moonbow at 2nd & Main in Corbin, KY
PROJECT DETAILS
- FUNDING: Moonbow at 2nd & Main was awarded $6,276 in Solar Finance Fund technical assistance cost support in June 2022.
- PLACEMENT: A 27-kW rooftop solar array was installed on a historic downtown building that now serves as a local event venue with on-site lodging and retail space.
- ENERGY SAVINGS: After their first month of solar, the building owner reported using 55% less electricity than the year before!
- COST SAVINGS: The project is projected to save $113,640 in the solar electric system’s lifespan.
Moonbow at 2nd & Main in Corbin, KY, lets the sun shine thanks to energy and cost savings after a rooftop solar installation in 2022. Moonbow, a premier community event space with a boutique gallery and lodging, has been serving Corbin for years. The Appalachian Solar Finance Fund provided over $6,000 in technical assistance cost support to get the project off the ground, and the case also earned $17,000 in USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant funding. Moonbow’s solar installation is projected to save $113,640 in the system’s lifetime!
Moonbow at 2nd & Main was acquired in 2017 and renovated with the help of dozens of professionals from Eastern Kentucky. Today, the 11,000 sq-ft building hosts community events and has retail and lodging space showcasing Corbin’s works and fellowship. Moonbow’s shift to solar not only helps cut energy costs for a community pillar, but sets the stage for a more sustainable future for the town’s environment and residents.
The 27-kW solar array was installed by Johnathan Gambrel, owner of Solar Energy Living. With Appalachian Solar Finance Fund assistance, local solar businesses are able to provide their services to uplift the community. Both solar companies and small businesses benefit from making the switch as local economies pick back up and protect their environment. Moonbow can now allocate more funds toward business improvements and helping the community thanks to their solar cost savings.
“You can count me as a solar evangelist if any other business owners in the region are interested in installing solar,” says Moonbow owner Geoff Marietta.
The Appalachian Solar Finance Fund is a regional financial and technical assistance program dedicated to spurring new solar development in coal-impacted counties of Central Appalachia. If you are interested in bringing solar power to your community, learn more about the fund and apply online for grants and technical assistance at https://solarfinancefund.org/
