Our children are our future. It’s a common enough phrase that illustrates adults’ hope that whatever today’s challenge is, the solution will arrive in the hearts, minds and actions of the next generation. When it comes to the climate crisis, that hope may not be misplaced. 

Sun Path Electric recently had the privilege of partnering with an organization whose transition to solar was made possible by a teenager. Temple Beth Hatfiloh (TBH) is a vibrant Jewish community located in Olympia, Washington. In 2022, a young temple member–whom we will call Maya to respect her and her family’s privacy–was entering the year of her Bat Mitzvah, a coming-of-age milestone that marks a young Jewish person’s initiation into Jewish adulthood. “It's a time to honor their passions and recognize their responsibility to both their community and the greater world,” said TBH Rabbi Seth Goldstein. 

For Maya and her classmates, this meant spending time reflecting on a specific religious text and working to embody it in a service project in the year leading up to their ceremony. 

Maya’s Torah portion referenced ‘letting the land rest,’ inspiring her to plan a service project that connected to the Jewish value Tikkun Olam (Repairing the Earth). She considered a clean-up, or fundraiser for an endangered species, but ultimately set her sights on something that could tangibly transform her community’s contribution to climate change. She set her sights on solar. 

As it turned out, a dedicated team at the temple was already working behind the scenes to install solar panels on the temple’s roof, and had been since 2018. 

Temple Beth Hatfiloh Begins Its Solar Journey

At the start of their solar journey in 2018, the TBH Green Team, spearheaded by a temple member (we’ll call her Leslie), and a former board member and solar project manager (we’ll call him Joseph), were set to partner with Olympia Community Solar (OCS). OCS’s grant program helps nonprofits and community organizations access solar energy by providing financial support for solar panel installations, promoting equitable access to clean energy.

The project would offset 94% of the temple’s needs. However, as preparations progressed, closer inspection of the temple’s main building’s roof revealed it would need to be replaced before the lifespan of the solar panels were up, making it unviable for the installation. The culprit? Seagulls. But that’s another story. 

Deterred, but Still Determined: TBH Keeps Going Despite Major Setbacks

Deterred, but still determined, the TBH team scaled back the scope of the project to include only the roof of their auxiliary building (which had suffered less from the habitation of seagulls). The new project would offset 23% of the temple’s energy needs, far less than the 94% originally planned, but far better than nothing. Again, the team was full steam ahead, until they learned that their smaller project was no longer eligible for the OCS program. As this deal fell through, so did the community grants that were promised. “We were back at square one,” said Leslie.

The temple and its community would need to foot the bill, at a time when fundraising efforts were necessarily focused on other campaigns. So, they continued to apply for other grants. It was the start of 2020, and they didn’t know it at the time, but the Covid-19 pandemic would be the final straw in slowing the project to a standstill. 

A Spark of Hope: How a Teenager Inspired Her Community to Action

Fast forward to 2022, where 13-year-old Maya is just now entering her Bat Mitzvah year. Fundraising efforts are slow moving and Joseph and Leslie’s work to find the right solar company partner is stop and go. 

Maya and her parents (we’ll call them John and Ellen) joined the effort. In addition to making a presentation to the board and fundraising in the community, Maya generously offered to donate all her Bat Mitzvah cash gifts to the campaign. Additionally, her family pledged a matching $10,000 gift—money they had saved to install solar on their own home—to encourage more community donations. Together, Maya, her family, the TBH team, and others rallied financial support from within and beyond the congregation. Nearly 100 people, including an Olympia city council member, contributed to the $26,000 campaign to make the solar project a reality.

“Maya's story of a youth who wanted to do something for her future and her generation’s future spoke to a lot of people,” said her father, John. “One donor in his 70s was so moved by her dedication that he even installed solar on his own home–not so much to benefit himself, but for future generations.”

The Final Piece: Finding the Right Solar Company

As the financial puzzle pieces fell into place, another crucial question remained: which solar company could they trust to execute their vision? 

Once again, the TBH team demonstrated their resilience by navigating multiple roadblocks. “We went through several companies, but it never worked out,” said Joseph. “Either they initially underestimated costs, or didn’t do commercial installations, or even in one case, had huge things missing in their contract that our lawyer flagged.” 

That’s when John, Maya's dad, passed along a recommendation from their neighbor who had recently worked with Sun Path Electric. “Competitors' quotes felt more transactional, but with Sun Path Electric it was personal,” said John. “We could tell Kristy, the owner, was invested in our story.” 

To say she was invested, was an understatement. “I was deeply inspired by the young temple member’s commitment and the dedication of the TBH team, who worked tirelessly to make this project happen, even though it had faced so many delays,” said Sun Path Electric President, Kristy Royce. “It was an honor for us to be part of such a meaningful initiative, and we were determined to help them reach their goal."

Joseph, as the solar project manager for TBH, worked the closest with Kristy and her team. “Kristy was very easy to work with,” he said. “The individuals at Sun Path Electric were friendly, efficient, and effective. They handled the permits, which was difficult to figure out, and they worked through all the challenges with us. I also appreciated that they contributed to programs like Solar Mamas, which align with our values of Tikkun Olam, or Repairing the World.”

Success: A Sunny Ending for the Community

After close to five years of twists and turns, Leslie, Joseph, Maya, John and their community of supporters finally saw their hard work pay off: 32 newly installed solar panels, glistening in Olympia's summer sun. “It was exciting to go up on the roof and see the panels being installed. It was very satisfying,” said Leslie. “Of course, I’m disappointed we couldn’t do the main building, but this is a step!” 

For John, his favorite part was seeing how the service project impacted Cora: "Through this experience, my daughter learned that when you step up and play a part, hard work pays off. That’s what I wanted her to take from her Bat Mitzvah—as she came of age in our community, she saw firsthand how helping others is just what you do. Climbing up on the roof with Rabbi Seth, she got to see the tangible results of her effort, which really showed her the impact of going the extra mile."

Rabbi Seth added, “It was really inspiring to see a young member embody our values by driving the solar project and challenging our congregation to take real action. This wasn’t just about contributing; it was about youth effecting change in a tangible way, with solar panels serving as a visible, permanent symbol of our commitment to sustainability.”

The completion of Temple Beth Hatfiloh's solar project is a testament to the power of community, perseverance, and shared values. “We are very grateful to Sun Path Electric,” said John. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”

This is Why We’re in the Solar Business

“This is why we do what we do. We believe in communities coming together to take collective action against climate change,” said Kristy. “It was inspiring to work with TBH community and witness a teenager’s determination helped drive this solar project. We have no doubt their story will inspire others in Washington and beyond to make the switch to solar.”

Today, TBH’s solar system is harnessing the sun’s energy, offsetting 23% of the temple’s power needs and empowering so many in their community to do the same.

Learn how you can transform your community by switching your home or office to solar. 

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Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of the individuals mentioned in this story, pseudonyms have been used in place of their real names, apart from Sun Path Electric’s President Kristy Royce and Temple Beth Hatfiloh’s Rabbi Seth Goldstein.