Solar panels at Delmar DivINe’s campus now generating renewable energy, increasing impact to the community
ST. LOUIS (Aug. 30, 2023) – Delmar DivINe’s latest contribution to St. Louis begins every day as soon as the sun rises over the horizon. New solar panels, installed by Ameren Missouri, are now generating renewable energy on the nonprofit campus’ parking lot in the West End.
“We want Delmar DivINe to be a catalyst for community development and social improvement north of Delmar Boulevard,” said Jorge Riopedre, executive director at Delmar DivINe. “Our partnership with Ameren Missouri will allow us to further serve these communities by supporting clean energy generation across St. Louis.”
The solar panels are the latest manifestation of that service. In the next year, the panels are expected to provide enough energy to power about 35 homes. They also offer shade and weather protection for almost 200 employees and visitors.
Delmar DivINe provides shared space and capacity-building programs for 39 nonprofit and retail tenants that deliver a variety of social services as well as financial and career assistance to the community. Delmar DivINe is committed to working with residents of North St. Louis City to support economic growth and expand resources for underserved neighborhoods.
Ameren Corporation is supporting that commitment with $300,000 in funding earmarked for Delmar DivINe’s overall mission – paid from Ameren Corporation’s Charitable Trust, which is funded entirely by corporate earnings and is not charged to customers.
“Delmar DivINe is doing important work, and we’re honored we can help them deliver on their mission,” said Tara Oglesby, vice president of economic, community and business development. “By partnering with strong local institutions across Missouri, we can have impact beyond energy through workforce development training and ongoing educational opportunities.”
The installations are part of Ameren Missouri’s Neighborhood Solar program. Just north of the Delmar DivINe installation, Ameren Missouri’s fifth Neighborhood Solar installation recently went in service at the company’s North Metro Operating Center. In the next year, these panels are expected to provide enough energy to power about 21 homes. In the St. Louis metro area, they join solar installations at the Habitat for Humanity St. Louis headquarters on South Grand and the Maryland Heights Community Center. The fifth location is on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. One additional installation is under construction in Jefferson County.
About Delmar Divine
Delmar DivINe is an innovative, multi-use initiative that provides co-location opportunities for nonprofit organizations alongside a range of shared support services for both tenants and the broader St. Louis community. Delmar DivINe aims to stimulate new collaborations between academic, nonprofit and public sector partners. Practically and symbolically, Delmar DivINe is meant to address the longstanding disadvantage and disinvestment in communities north of
Delmar Boulevard. Learn more at our website, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
About Ameren Missouri
Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years, and the company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. Ameren Missouri's mission is to power the quality of life for its 1.2 million electric and 135,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company's service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, visit Ameren.com/Missouri or follow us on Twitter at @AmerenMissouri or Facebook.com/AmerenMissouri.