Impact Spotlight
Solar energy access for 13 families
Job training for 8 solar fellows
100% Hopi and Navajo installation team
About
Native Renewables empowers Native American families to achieve energy independence by growing renewable energy capacity and affordable access to off-grid power.
Communities within the Navajo and Hopi nations have some of the best solar resources in the country, and have thousands of families that lack access to electricity. Some families rely on fossil fuels for light and short-term power and have been waiting years to be connected to the grid. These families are the perfect candidates for off-grid solar energy solutions.
Founded by two Navajo women to address the inequity in energy access within Native communities, Native Renewables invests in tribal members, builds the technical capacity of a local workforce, and helps grow a clean energy economy.
“I realized that if nobody was going to provide power for these families, we had to figure out how to power ourselves using the sun.”
HF Partnership
In 2022, the Honnold Foundation renewed its partnership with Native Renewables to help scale their workforce development training, installation capacity, and advance their mission to increase off-grid energy access and strengthen sovereignty across the Navajo and Hopi Nations.
In 2021, the Honnold Foundation partnered with Native Renewables to install off-grid photovoltaic systems on six homes. Three new systems were deployed, and three non-working systems were updated and given new batteries. In addition to installation, the Honnold Foundation grant supported a paid workforce development program for 4 Navajo and Hopi technicians. Technicians install the systems, educate families on usage and basic maintenance, and commit to annual maintenance check-ins for seven years.
Similar Partners
