First solar project by Columbus Region Green Initiative to save senior living facility $2M

• Columbus Region Green Fund installed its first solar panel project at Corban Commons Senior Living Facility, expected to save the facility over $2 million in energy costs.
• The Columbus Region Green Fund aims to promote clean energy and affordable housing.
• City of Columbus and Franklin County leaders celebrated the project as a step toward a clean energy future and meeting the goals of the Columbus Climate Action Plan.

The city of Columbus recently installed its first solar panel project under the Columbus Region Green Fund.

The project, which was installed at Corban Commons Senior Living Facility, involved the activation of more than 400 kilowatts of solar panels, according to a news release from the city. As a result of the installation, the city estimates that Corban Commons — a community intended to serve low-income seniors — will save more than $2 million in energy costs.

At a May 22 press conference with city leaders, Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce said in light of this installation, Corban Commons is proof that “affordable housing can and must be a part of our clean energy future.”

“Corban Commons has never been just about housing; it’s about dignity, a place to live” Boyce said. “It’s about ensuring that our seniors have access to safe, stable homes, where they’re seen, valued and supported, most importantly — and now, the integration of solar power.”

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, who also spoke at the press conference, said the Columbus Region Green Fund was launched in 2023 out of a desire to promote clean energy and affordable housing, with a specific focus on the communities most affected by climate change.

“Today, less than two years later, we’re standing in front of proof that this organization is working as intended,” Ginther said. “This solar panel installation is more than just panels on a roof and on the ground. It represents action, partnership and follow-through.”

According to the release, the Columbus Region Green Fund exists through multimillion-dollar investments from the city, Franklin County and the Columbus Partnership — a nonprofit organization of CEOs from the city’s top businesses.

Ginther said projects like these go hand in hand with the Columbus Climate Action Plan, which was announced by the mayor in 2020 as a goal for the city to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and be carbon neutral by 2050.

“The Green Fund is a critical piece of the puzzle, and we’re already seeing returns,” Ginther said. “More than 10 nonprofits and affordable housing developments are in the process of being built in 2025 alone. In short, we’re no longer just talking about goals; we’re delivering on them.”

Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com, or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter.