TL;DR
Beacon of Hope Food Pantry in Marshall, North Carolina, has installed a microgrid with 56 rooftop solar panels and three batteries to help keep key services running during power outages. The roughly $100,000 project is funded mainly through a state program for microgrids in counties affected by Hurricane Helene; the pantry says it paid nothing toward the project.
Beacon of Hope Food Pantry in Marshall, North Carolina, has installed a microgrid combining 56 rooftop solar panels and three batteries, giving the nonprofit a backup source of electricity for food distribution during future outages. The roughly $100,000 project is funded mainly by a state grant program created for microgrids in communities affected by Hurricane Helene.
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The system can store electricity generated by the panels and supply power after dark or on cloudy days. According to the report, it is designed to support the pantry’s internet, lighting, heating, cooling and refrigeration in its food distribution area. The report does not specify how long the batteries can run those loads or how much of the building they can serve at once.
Beacon executive director Jessi Koontz said the project cost about $100,000 and that the pantry paid nothing. The main funding came from a $5 million state grant program intended to install 24 sustainable microgrids in Helene-impacted counties. The project also received support from philanthropic foundation BuildUS, while Invest Appalachia provided a bridge loan to help cover costs while nonprofit solar rebates are pending.
The system is among the first projects to advance far through the state program, according to Sara Nichols of Land of Sky Regional Council, which is helping lead the initiative. A microgrid at Bill’s Creek Community Center in Lake Lure is also close to completion. Nichols said smaller projects with simpler wiring have progressed more quickly than larger, more complex proposals.
Keeping Pantry Services Powered
The installation gives a community food provider another way to keep essential operations going when the local grid fails. Refrigeration and climate control matter to food storage, while power for lighting and internet can help staff organize distribution and communicate with residents. The microgrid does not prevent outages, but it is intended to reduce their effect on the pantry’s work.
Beacon serves about 1,700 families in Madison County each month, according to the report. Its location was spared the worst flooding from Helene, but the storm damaged nearby parts of Marshall and left some businesses without water or electricity for months. The pantry’s backup system could help preserve its capacity to assist residents in a future disruption, although its actual performance will depend on battery capacity, solar output and the length and severity of an outage.
The project also illustrates how grant funding and bridge financing can help nonprofits install energy systems despite delays in receiving federal incentives. Invest Appalachia communications and impact director Lauren Sowers said reimbursement timing can be a barrier for organizations without substantial cash reserves. The arrangement used for Beacon combines public grant support with other financing rather than relying on the pantry to pay the full upfront cost.
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Helene Recovery Drives Microgrids
Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina in 2024. In Marshall, floodwaters along the French Broad River rose to a reported historic 27 feet, damaging downtown businesses and community spaces. Beacon of Hope, located at a higher elevation about a five-minute drive from Main Street, avoided major damage and remained able to serve residents, Koontz told Canary Media.
After the storm, Footprint Project and regional partners helped deploy temporary or clean-energy microgrids at sites including fire stations, nursing homes and mobile-home parks. Beacon’s installation is distinct in that it is being financed primarily through North Carolina’s state grant initiative, announced by Gov. Josh Stein’s administration last August using funds from the federal bipartisan infrastructure law.
The initiative aims to support 24 microgrids in affected counties and is scheduled to wrap up by next summer, according to the report. Federal funding rules for eligible equipment have complicated some larger proposals, Nichols said. The state program is consequently concentrating more on smaller, rural projects that can move ahead under those requirements.
“We were one of the lucky ones.”
— Jessi Koontz, executive director of Beacon of Hope Food Pantry
Operating Details Still Pending
The report does not give an exact date for when the system will be switched on, its battery storage capacity, the duration it can sustain the pantry’s essential loads, or whether it can operate independently through an extended outage. Those details are needed to judge how much service the microgrid can maintain during different conditions.
The state program’s final project count and the status of other applications also remain unsettled in the report. Beacon is described as the first project to make it through the process, or possibly the second depending on when its system begins operating; Bill’s Creek Community Center is nearing completion. The report also does not provide a measured estimate of the pantry’s expected annual savings from solar power.
State Program Turns to Rural Sites
The next near-term milestone for Beacon is the system’s move into operation; the report does not name a switch-on date. A second project at Bill’s Creek Community Center is also close to completion, according to Nichols.
Land of Sky and state partners are continuing to work through proposals under the initiative, which is scheduled to conclude by next summer. Nichols said the program is shifting toward smaller, more rural microgrids as equipment rules and the time required to resolve compliance issues slow more complex projects. The remaining project selections, completion dates and final number of installations have not been reported.
Key Questions
What has Beacon of Hope installed?
The pantry has installed a microgrid with 56 rooftop solar panels and three batteries. It is intended to power internet, lighting, heating, cooling and refrigeration in the food distribution area.
Who paid for the microgrid?
The roughly $100,000 project was financed mainly through North Carolina’s state microgrid grant initiative. BuildUS also contributed, and Invest Appalachia provided a bridge loan. Koontz said Beacon paid nothing toward the project.
How many families does Beacon of Hope serve?
According to the report, Beacon provides food assistance to about 1,700 families in Madison County each month.
Will the microgrid keep the pantry running through any outage?
That is not established by the available details. The system is intended to support selected loads, but its battery capacity, runtime and performance during a prolonged outage have not been reported.
What is happening with the wider state program?
The $5 million initiative aims to install 24 sustainable microgrids in Helene-impacted counties and is scheduled to wrap up by next summer. A project at Bill’s Creek Community Center is also nearing completion, while other project selections remain in progress.
Source: rss
