Maryland solar contractor Got Electric has donated 57 surplus Heliene 380-W solar panels to Shenandoah County SEARCH, a Virginia nonprofit organization that provides residential care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and operates a community thrift store in Mount Jackson.

Got Electric's Randy Velker (left) and community supporter Mike Gantt assist with the delivery of the 57 solar panels donated to Shenandoah County SEARCH. Credit: Got Electric

Twelve of the panels were installed at the SEARCH group home by Green Hill Solar during the week of July 27. The remaining 45 panels will support a larger solar installation at the SEARCH Thrift Store once the organization raises approximately $29,000 in additional funding.

"We are honored to partner with GiveSolar to support Shenandoah County SEARCH and the important work it does for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities," said Andy Hershberger, director of Virginia operations for Got Electric. "By donating these solar panels, we are giving surplus equipment a meaningful new purpose while helping SEARCH reduce its long-term energy expenses and direct more resources toward resident care, enrichment opportunities and the continued success of its community thrift store."

Hershberger and GiveSolar Director Jeff Heie have known each other for more than a decade. The two previously collaborated on a volunteer-supported solar installation at Eastern Mennonite School and, in 2025, helped direct surplus solar panels from Got Electric to Athens Area Habitat for Humanity in Athens, Georgia. When Hershberger contacted Heie about another opportunity to place surplus panels with nonprofit organizations, GiveSolar connected Got Electric with SEARCH. GiveSolar also contributed $500 toward the group home's remaining solar installation expenses. The SEARCH project follows the same pattern as the Athens delivery: a contractor with surplus equipment, an intermediary with nonprofit relationships, and a recipient organization able to convert long-term energy savings into mission funding.

"Many nonprofits understand the long-term value of solar energy but struggle to secure the upfront capital required to install a system," Heie said. "A solar panel donation can provide the traction and leverage needed to raise the remaining funds. Got Electric had panels available, and GiveSolar was able to connect them with SEARCH, an organization that can use the resulting savings to further its mission for years to come."

The group home's solar system is projected to produce approximately 5.644 MWh annually and offset an estimated 75% of its electricity use. The larger thrift store system is projected to produce approximately 24.702 MWh annually and offset more than 65% of the store's electricity use. Combined, the two systems are projected to generate roughly 30.3 MWh per year, with the thrift store array accounting for the larger share of that output.

SEARCH spent approximately $11,500 on electricity during its July 2025 through June 2026 fiscal year. If the systems perform as projected, on-site generation would offset the majority of the electricity consumption behind that spending. Reducing those expenses means the nonprofit can direct more resources toward resident care, staffing, home improvements, enrichment activities and the continued operation of its community thrift store.

"This is transformational. What appears to be a solar project is really a mission project," said Kim Cassford, board member of Shenandoah County SEARCH. "By harnessing the power of the sun, SEARCH is creating a renewable source of funding that will benefit our residents for decades to come."

Founded in 1978, SEARCH operates an eight-bed, state-licensed group home that provides 24-hour support to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Some residents have called SEARCH home for more than two decades.

"For most people, lower utility bills simply mean saving money. For SEARCH, they mean creating opportunities," said Robin Tull, group home administrator. "Every dollar we save through solar energy can be redirected to the things that truly matter, from outings and celebrations to the everyday household supplies that keep our home running."

Completion of the thrift store installation is the project's remaining milestone, contingent on raising the approximately $29,000 still needed. Donations supporting the thrift store solar installation may be made online.

News item from Got Electric