State grant to pay for solar panels on Deming Library roof

The Washington State Department of Commerce announced 46 grants representing a total of $37 million was funded by the Washington Climate Commitment Act with additional state funding on September 12, 2024. Included was a grant awarded to the Friends of the Deming Library.

$82,470 to Friends of Deming Library, Deming for rooftop solar panels to offset annual electrical use and provide power for EV charging ports. Energy savings will help expand services and programs to the Nooksack Indian Tribe.

– Washington State Department of Commerce (September 12, 2024)

Grant funding of this type is intended to “fund a wide variety of projects to promote clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including activities that modernize the electric grid, promote solar energy, enhance community resilience, support low-income communities, and facilitate siting and permitting of new clean energy projects.”

Ecotech Solar announced February 19, 2025, they will be installing solar panels funded by the grant beginning March 4, 2025.

Ecotech Solar will install 80 panels to create ~35,000 kWh of electricity annually. 

The solar panels will also help the library reduce energy costs by approximately $5,000 annually. Whatcom County Library System staff will use the savings to support library programs, including initiatives that serve the Nooksack Indian Tribe and broader Deming community such as the Tribal Elders book club, Indigenous film screenings, job skills training and workshops centered on Indigenous traditions.

– Ecotech Solar (February 19, 2025)

A spokesperson with Ecotech Solar told Whatcom Business Journal via email that the grant is expected to cover 100% of the project cost.