Every Friday during the school year, thousands of students in the Twin Cities take home extra food for the weekend thanks to Every Meal. Launched in 2010, the nonprofit supplies kids and families who live in food-insecure homes with easy-to-prepare, culturally relevant meals and pantry staples. Volunteers help package these meals, then deliver them to schools across the metro.

As Every Meal’s reach has grown from serving one class of 27 students to more than 12,000 students each week, so has its need to use more space and energy. In December 2023, Every Meal purchased the warehouse in Roseville that it had leased for the past seven years. Now it is making a big investment in sustainable energy.

With financing from Sunrise Banks, Every Meal recently purchased a new solar panel array for its warehouse. Crews began installing the new panels in late March.

“While we certainly care about sustainability, this decision also made a lot of business sense,” says Rob Williams, president of Every Meal (pictured left). “When you run the numbers, it’s less expensive, in the long run, to invest in solar panels than it is to pay for electricity through a utility company.”

“Ultimately, what that means is we will have more funds to buy food to serve the kids in Minnesota who face empty kitchen cupboards at home,” Williams adds.

Sustainable Lending Options

Every Meal took advantage of what’s known as Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Lending (C-PACE) to finance its solar panel project. Sunrise Banks provides C-PACE loans to Minnesota businesses that want to make sustainable renovations or energy efficient upgrades to their buildings.

“There are many projects that qualify for C-PACE lending,” explains Andy Carlson, a senior commercial loan officer at Sunrise Banks. “They can also include high-efficiency lighting, water conservation projects, charging ports for electric vehicles, and more.”

Every Meal was also able to secure a lower financing rate thanks to the Net Zero Financing program at Sunrise Banks. These loans are awarded to projects that actively work to reduce or avoid carbon emissions.

“We’ve seen a lot of demand for Net Zero financing in the past several years,” explains Carlson. “Overall, it is a really good investment for businesses who want to do their part in caring for the planet.”

Trusted Partners

Every Meal chose Apadana Solar Technologies to supply and install the panels on the warehouse roof. Today, panels can be pre-engineered to fit the space, then lifted into place. In addition to the energy savings, companies can also qualify for construction rebates and savings if they’re based in a low-to-moderate income neighborhood.

“We’re committed to working with all non-profits by providing them with engineered power solutions that fit their budget,” says Todd Leonard, Director of Business Development and Tribal Relations for Apadana Energy. “This way, we can install solar energy that will offset their utility bills for the next 30 years.”

Williams says his team is exploring other ways to make the Every Meal warehouse more energy efficient.

“We are working to improve our building envelope, specifically the windows and doors, which are original from the 1980s,” he says.

The Sunrise Experience

“Working with Sunrise Banks was really a wonderful experience,” says Williams. “They explained to us how a C-PACE loan works and Andy continues to answer my questions as we move along. Turns out, I’m not an expert in banking, much less in unique products like C-PACE loans, so it’s important to me that we have helpful and knowledgeable support like we do from Sunrise Banks.”

Williams says he appreciates the commitment Sunrise Banks makes to supporting its customers and communities. He says that also aligns with Every Meal’s mission.

“Sunrise Banks isn’t simply about making money,” he says. “They’re about making a difference.”

Ready to start your energy efficient project for your business? Visit sunrisebanks.com/net-zero-financing to learn about your financing options.

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This article originally appeared in Twin Cities Business Magazine.