Week 8: More work on Solar Energy

Hey!

As an intern this summer I have been doing a lot of work on solar energy! To start, I would have to say the highlight of my week, is my meeting with the mayor’s office on sustainability. We were able to discuss Atlanta’s future, and what the city could do with incorporating more solar energy, and I am extremely excited to see what may come of it!

Besides Atlanta, Environment Georgia continues to work on the Solarized Decatur program, trying to bring solar energy to the Atlanta suburb of Decatur and DeKalb county. While most of the work will not take place this summer, I am helping prepare for the events that are to take place this fall. Most of the things I have learned surrounding this project is programming organization. Through collaboration with several different organizations, through holding town hall forums with community residents, and engaging in conversations with city officials-I am learning what it means to be apart of a non-profit, grassroots organization.

One of the most surprising things about this whole project, is how much long term planning goes into launching a city wide project. While it is still summer, we are planning events leading all the way up till next spring, rather than only planning a few weeks in advance. This allows for a better understanding of what resources will be needed throughout the year so that they can be allocated to different projects accordingly.