Yingli Green Energy & US Soccer Federation Shoot & Score for Solar Energy

June 4th, 2012 by Adam Johnston

Yingli Green Energy and the US Soccer Federation recently teamed up to announce the creation of the Yingli Green Energy nationwide PASS Program — Powering Advancement with Solar and Soccer.

The program is to help promote sustainable energy in disadvantaged neighborhoods while also promoting a healthier lifestyle for young people.

To help ‘kick off’ the program, Yingli Green Energy and US Soccer inaugurated a 5-kW solar system at KIPP DC WILL Academy in the Shaw neighborhood area of Washington, D.C. last week. US Men’s national soccer team stars Maurice Edu and Oguchi Onyewu also led a soccer skills clinic for the students as part of the launch.

“We believe there are two never-ending resources in every community around the world — the power of the sun, and the power of play,” said Helena Kimball, Head of Marketing for Yingli Green Energy Americas.

“We’re proud to help bring the two together at the KIPP DC campus and to launch the PASS program. We’re hopeful this initiative will provide a platform to help effect positive change in the lives of underserved communities across the U.S.,” she said.

KIPP DC is a network of college preparatory public chartered schools within the D.C region. The schools are tuition free, have an open enrollment policy, and serve the most under-resourced areas within Washington D.C. The KIPP network of schools has approximately 2,600 students on three campuses in three schools.

The donated solar energy system from Yingli will become a part of the KIPP curriculum. Rockford, Maryland–based company Standard Solar Inc. will install the new system.

KIPP students will be able to watch the energy coming from the Yingli solar system through a computerized “dashboard” while seeing how much overall electricity is used.

Yingli Green Energy’s latest announcement is in a line of other recent announcements tying the world of sports and renewable energy. Yingli was the first renewable energy and Chinese company to sponsor the World Cup (in South Africa) and will be doing so again in the upcoming World Cup in Brazil. It also recently made Rio De Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium solar-powered, as a part of a plan to make the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil the most sustainable FIFA World Cup to date.

Hopefully, there will be more to come as sports become a stronger and stronger ally of sustainable development initiatives.

Photo Credit: PR Newswire

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Tags: Soccer, solar energy soccer, solar energy sports, Sports and Renewable Energy, US Soccer Federation, Yingli, yingli soccer, Yingli Solar, yingli solar soccer

About the Author

Adam Johnston Is currently studying at the School of the Environment Professional Development program in Renewable Energy from the University of Toronto. Adam graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a three-year B.A. combined major in Economics and Rhetoric, Writing & Communications. Adam also writes for Solar Love and also owns his own part time tax preparation business. His eventual goal is to be a cleantech policy analyst, and is currently sharpening his skills as a renewable energy writer. You can follow him on Twitter @adamjohnstonwpg or at www.adammjohnston.wordpress.com.