The Second Life Solar Initiative repurposes decommissioned solar panels to power BIPOC-owned farmland, advancing renewable energy, promoting environmental sustainability, and empowering communities. By giving solar panels a second life, we reduce waste, create economic opportunities, and showcase the power of the circular economy in action.

Community Solar Fairs are temporary, self-sustaining events led by the Circular Economy Cooperative (CE COOP), designed to demonstrate and embody the circular economy in action.  These fairs showcase renewable energy through portable solar microgrids, repurpose Second Life Solar Panels, and implement zero-waste systems to create a closed-loop event experience. 

Attendees engage in hands-on learning about sustainable food production, renewable energy, and waste reduction, while experiencing how CE COOP initiatives circulate resources and energy within local economies. 

The fairs also feature a Green Business Expo, where CE COOP members and hyper-local green businesses showcase sustainable solutions. These pop-up fairs create mini circular economies, where energy, resources, and sustainability principles flow in action—demonstrating, not just telling, what a thriving circular economy looks like in real-world practice. 

Community Solar Gardens are urban gardens equipped with solar microgrids to energize the land and support sustainable food production. These gardens integrate renewable energy systems, reducing operational costs while empowering urban agriculture.

Beyond powering garden operations, these solar microgrids create a multipurpose energy hub, enabling the site to host community events like the Community Solar Fair and serve as a hands-on training ground for our Green Workforce Program. The solar installations at these sites incorporate Second Life Solar Panels, extending the life cycle of decommissioned solar technology.

With this energy infrastructure, we can also implement air-to-water generators, transforming the garden into a self-sustaining hub for food, water, and energy production. These urban green spaces become living classrooms and outdoor community centers, fostering education, sustainability, and innovation at the heart of the community.

CE Business Development Initiative

Green Workforce Initiative