New Energy Equity LLC, a leading U.S. community and commercial solar project developer based in Annapolis, has partnered with Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (“CRAB”) to create a state of the art green building at their new facility, in honor and memory of New Energy’s co-founder and CRAB Board Member, Ian Palmer who passed away in March of 2020.
Ian Palmer co-founded and served as CEO of New Energy Equity while also volunteering on CRAB’s Board of Directors until 2017. As CRAB’s Treasurer, he was a key leader in the strategic planning and financial policies to better enable the organization to acquire a new fleet of boats and continue serving its sailing guests with disabilities, recovering warriors, and youth from underserved communities.
The state-of-the-art learning center of CRAB’s new Adaptive Boating Center will feature roof-mounted solar panels donated, engineered, installed, and managed by New Energy’s charitable giving arm – the Lift as We Climb Foundation. Inspired in part by Ian’s legacy at New Energy, the Lift as We Climb Foundation carries New Energy’s commitment to give back to local communities and make real New Energy’s overall mission of leaving the world a better place through renewable energy.
“We are honored to be able to install this system and donate the electricity produced to CRAB, an organization that was so important to Ian,” said New Energy’s current CEO and co-founder, Matt Hankey. “Partnering together to bring this building to life and support CRAB’s mission is one way we have been able to honor Ian’s memory and carry on his dedication of giving back to our communities.”
The solar panels are designed with a capacity of 25kW, producing an estimated 33 megawatt-hours of electricity – enough to fully power the entire new boating center at no charge, reducing its utility costs to zero for the next 25 years. The electricity savings will allow CRAB to allocate more resources towards furthering its mission of providing adaptive water experiences and instruction at no cost to guests, to over 1,000 individuals every year, which is expected to increase significantly when the new facility opens in 2022.
“Ian was a strong and dedicated leader who shared his love of sailing by putting his heart and soul into making CRAB a success,” said CRAB Executive Director, Paul Bollinger. “He loved seeing CRAB guests with disabilities smiling and happy while learning to sail on the Chesapeake Bay. We are deeply honored to see Ian’s legacy continue in our partnership with New Energy Equity.”
CRAB’s new Adaptive Boating Center is located on Back Creek, in Annapolis, and is expected to break ground later this summer.
