Though access to electricity is often taken for granted, there are still several communities worldwide that lack access to this basic universal need and right. Included amongst these communities is the Navajo Nation where tens of thousands of rural homes lack access to electricity. Off the electric grid and faced with out-of-reach costs to access electricity via a generator, approximately 15,000 homes on the Navajo Nation remain without electricity, representing a staggering 75% of all unpowered U.S. households.
By bringing solar electricity to these families, Navajo Power Home isn’t merely improving their quality of life, they are drastically reducing the percentage of American households that remain disconnected from the power grid. Their impact extends beyond individual homes and into transforming national statistics, fostering equity and opportunity for those long underserved, and Sorenson Impact Foundation is proud to add Navajo Power Home to its program-related investment portfolio.
Navajo Power Home (“NPH”) is a solar utility company that installs self-sustaining, individual solar systems for the 15k rural homes in the Navajo nation without electricity access. NPH then sells the generated power to residents at a fixed monthly amount for the electricity which enables families to avoid what is often the variable monthly household cost of electric power. NPH’s solution is more than 80% more affordable than the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority public utility. Furthermore, the NPH solar system can power six homes with the same $40K it takes the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority to connect one home to the grid.
By providing electricity, Navajo Power Home also stimulates economic mobility and improves health conditions.Replacing kerosene lamps with solar power can reduce PM2.5 (microscopic particles that can go deep into the lungs and cause health issues) inhalation by up to 80%, significantly decreasing respiratory illnesses in the community. And, by providing clean electricity, Navajo Power Home promotes environmental sustainability. Every kilowatt installed lowers a home’s carbon footprint by over 3,000 pounds annually. For the average five-kilowatt residential system, that means a reduction of more than 15,000 pounds of CO2 every year per home.
With a Navajo team at the company’s helm, NPH is meaningfully connected to the community it serves, addresses not only the technological aspects of providing solar power but also the cultural and social nuances of the Navajo Nation, and is positioned for high-impact.
By investing in Navajo Power Home, Sorenson Impact Foundation solidifies its commitment to empowering base of pyramid (low-income) populations with the utilities, tools, and access needed to thrive. We are thrilled to support Navajo Power Home’s work, and look forward to scaling the power of clean energy and community-driven initiatives across the Navajo Nation.