Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada (CCSN) is one of the largest providers of social services in the state. Every day, the organization serves more than 4,500 people through more than a dozen programs and services ranging from emergency shelters to Meals on Wheels.

CCSN wanted to transition to solar energy, but it was also facing major capital repairs and roof replacements on all the buildings on its Las Vegas campus. It turned to Mission Energy to help determine the best solution.

During their first meeting, CCSN also identified additional challenges on the organization’s Las Vegas campus, including rising energy costs and poor lighting in several facilities, such as the emergency shelter and community service center. The capital-intensive projects needed to be carefully vetted and analyzed.

As part of Mission Energy’s 8-point collaborative process, staff created energy models for the campus, analyzed the site and facilities, and created financial and project design models for CCSN’s consideration. As an expert in developing solar and storage solutions for nonprofit organizations, Mission Energy was uniquely qualified and positioned to provide a creative, market-based approach to create long-term value and utilize CCSN’s budget and resources in the most efficient way.

“Organizations don’t have to choose between capital repairs and solar energy,” said Page Gravely, president of Mission Energy. “Through our evaluation process, Mission Energy analyzed CCSN’s energy bills, reviewed the Las Vegas campus and considered their budget and potential capital needs, such as new roofs and LED lighting. Then, we tailored a project to meet their unique requirements.”

Mission Energy developed financial and design models that would address CCSN’s issues and maximize its savings, including:

• Identifying little-known state and utility incentives

• Facilitating third-party investors to fund the work instead of requiring CCSN to use capital resources

• Incorporating rooftop solar systems alongside a light- and heat-reflecting roof retrofit

• Performing an LED lighting audit and upgrade

Once funding was in place, Mission Energy managed the contract bids and installation of the 541.8-kilowatt aggregate rooftop solar system, the comprehensive LED retrofit, and the replacement of the existing roofs with TPO light- and heat-reflecting roofing systems on the CCSN campus. Mission Energy served as CCSN’s representative, trusted advisor and construction manager from start to finish.

“We were able to bring these solutions to CCSN because of our deep understanding of the solar landscape and the impact on religious and nonprofit organizations,” said Gravely. “We walked CCSN leadership through the entire process and collaboration so they understood their options and could make decisions that would best impact the people they serve on a daily basis.”

“Removing capital requirements and operational risks while lowering energy costs, improving the quality of our facilities and improving budget certainty is a huge benefit,” said Marcus Valerio, the Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada at the time. “However, by becoming a better actor in environmental stewardship aligned to Catholic doctrine, we are demonstrating to our employees, community and donor base how we responsibly operate our organization in financial and environmental sustainability.

“These operating savings can be used to support more programming and services. We may be able to raise other grants and capital resources through this example of creative and prudent capital management. And we are providing our employees and all visitors safer, brighter and more efficiently operating facilities.”

The Results

In the first two-and-a-half years since the solar installation and LED retrofit, CCSN has exceeded its savings forecasts and reduced its carbon footprint by an estimated 651 tons of CO2 each year. That’s the equivalent of removing 141 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles from the road for one year. The project is also insulating CCSN from recent inflation in Nevada Energy’s cost of electricity (just over 21% increase since 2021), due to a fixed annual price escalator locked in by their Power Purchase Agreement.

As an energy-solutions developer, Mission Energy serves its clients with a customized plan and consultation through every step of the process: evaluating economic impact, securing financing, vetting and selecting subcontractors, working with the utility and local and state government entities, utilizing all available rebates and financial incentives, and providing post-installation support such as monitoring and auditing system performance. Mission Energy’s work for Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada is an example of how innovation, collaboration, expertise, and market-based opportunities can both preserve and increase precious capital for nonprofits, freeing up money that will be reinvested to serve the organization’s mission for decades to come.

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