SEAFORD, Del. – Allen Harim presented five students with the first-ever Allen Harim Legacy Scholarship, which provides a $2,500 financial award for college. The Allen Harim Legacy Scholarship was created last month when the company announced they would be using savings from a newly installed solar project to create the program.

The 1.57 megawatt, multi-million dollar solar project features 4,992 solar panels in a six-acre field, and is projected to generate 2.3 million kWh of power each year, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1,616 metric tons every year. 
“This is another exciting environmental project for our company here in Harbeson and we are grateful to all our partners for making it happen,” said Joe Moran, president and CEO of Allen Harim, during the company’s ribbon cutting on May 15. The energy produced by the solar panels will supply about 11 to 12 percent of the energy used at the Harbeson facility, he said.
Allen Harim will purchase 100 percent of the power produced from the solar panels under a 20-year power purchase agreement. The project was developed by Alternative Energy Development Group, Berwyn, Pennsylvainia, and is owned and operated by Onyx Renewable Partners.
During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Chris Fraga, founder and CEO of Alternative Energy Development Group, presented a check for $10,000 through the company’s Watts for Wishes charitable giving program to establish the Allen Harim Legacy Scholarship fund. Allen Harim will provide a $10,000 matching gift, and set up an endowed fund through the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore. 
The Allen Harim Legacy Scholarship will provide $2,500 scholarships for children of employees and growers to attend college or trade schools. The company plans to use the savings from the solar project to grow the endowed fund to provide up to five scholarships a year.
“We are pleased with this year’s award recipients, and look forward to creating a legacy that will pay dividends for the families of our employees and growers for generations to come,” said President and CEO Joe Moran. “One of our recipients will be the first family member to attend college and obtain a four-year degree. We look forward to helping make dreams come true.” 
This year’s winners include:

• Fantasy Hopkins, of Bridgeville, Delaware. Her mother Michelle Horne has worked at Allen Harim in the Sourcing department at corporate headquarters since 2008. Hopkins graduated from Sussex Technical High School in May and plans to attend the Univ. of Delaware and major in Exercise Science, with the hopes of one day going on to become a doctor.
• Bridgette Laughery, of Seaford, Delaware. Her mother Sheila Laughery has worked in the Credit Department at the company’s corporate headquarters since 2008. Laughery graduated from Sussex Tech in May of 2014 and earned an Associate’s Degree in Architectural Engineering Technology from Delaware Tech. She plans to pursue another Associate’s Degree in Construction Management this fall.
• Macey Mitchell, of Millsboro, Delaware. Her parents, Steve and Wendy Mitchell, own Clear Skies Farm in Millsboro and have grown chickens for Allen Harim since 2016. She is a graduate of Sussex Technical High School and plans to attend Bryn Athyn College, in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, where she plans to become a Special Education teacher.
• Devin Phillips, of Salisbury, Maryland. His father, Andrew J. Phillips, owns Old Country Farm located on Allen’s Mill Road in Delmar, Delaware, and has been a contract poultry grower with Allen Harim since 2010. He graduated from Wicomico High School in June and plans to attend Salisbury Univ. in the fall to study business.
• Joshua Tucker, of Boonville, North Carolina. His father Charles Tucker has worked in the Breeder Department in Liberty, North Carolina, since 2010.  He has been attending Surry Community College but plans to attend Appalachian State Univ. in the fall, where he hopes to study business and accounting, and be the first person in his family to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. 

A major solar project is now up and running in Sussex County.
A six-acre field of solar panels is now energized and providing power to Allen Harim's poultry processing plant in Harbeson, 
officials announced Monday. 
The company also pledged to use some of the savings realized from the renewable energy project to create an endowed scholarship fund for the children of employees and growers to give them an opportunity to attend college.
According to the company,  the 1.57MW, multi-million dollar solar project features 4,992 solar panels, and is projected to generate 2.3 million kWh of power each year, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1,616 metric tons every year. 
The project was developed by Alternative Energy Development Group and is owned and operated by Onyx Renewable Partners. Allen Harim has agreed to purchase 100% of the power produced from the project under a 20-year power purchase agreement, and the system is live and interconnected to the Delmarva Power grid.
"This is another exciting environmental project for our company here in Harbeson and we are grateful to all our partners for making it happen," said Joe Moran, President and CEO of Allen Harim. Moran says the energy produced by the solar panels will supply about 11 to 12 percent of the energy used at the Harbeson facility.
"Some people seem to think we have to choose between having a cleaner, stronger environment and having a robust economy. I disagree. It is possible to pursue policies that protect our environment and public health, while creating jobs and growing our economy," said U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, ranking member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "By pursuing clean and green energy, businesses like Allen Harim can reduce energy costs and be more competitive. I'm also so very pleased that Allen Harim will reinvest in its employees by using some of the savings toward college scholarships. That's a true commitment to our local community."
At a ribbon cutting on Monday, Chris Fraga, Founder and CEO of Alternative Energy Development Group, presented a check for $10,000 through the company's Watts for Wishes charitable giving program to establish the Allen Harim Legacy Scholarship fund. Allen Harim will provide a $10,000 matching gift, and set up an endowed fund through the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore. Officials from APPI Energy, a commercial energy consulting group, also donated $1,500 toward the establishment of the fund. 
The Allen Harim Legacy Scholarship will provide $2,500 scholarships for children of employees and growers to attend college or trade schools. The company plans to use the savings from the solar project to grow the endowed fund to provide up to five scholarships a year. The deadline for application this year will be June 2, 2017.

Allen Harim’s poultry processing plant in Harbeson, Delaware, is now drawing power from a six-acre field of solar panels. A ribbon cutting was held at the facility May 15. The 1.57 megawatt, multi-million dollar solar project features 4,992 solar panels, and is projected to generate 2.3 million kWh of power each year, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1,616 metric tons every year. 
 “This is another exciting environmental project for our company here in Harbeson and we are grateful to all our partners for making it happen,” said Joe Moran, president and CEO of Allen Harim. The energy produced by the solar panels will supply about 11 to 12 percent of the energy used at the Harbeson facility, he said.
Allen Harim will purchase 100 percent of the power produced from the solar panels under a 20-year power purchase agreement. The project was developed by Alternative Energy Development Group, Berwyn, Pennsylvainia, and is owned and operated by Onyx Renewable Partners.
“The addition of a multi-megawatt solar system which will generate clean, reliable and affordable power for decades to come for Allen Harim, fits perfectly with Allen Harim’s balanced approach to running a fiscally-prudent and environmentally-responsible company,” said Chris Fraga, founder and CEO of Alternative Energy Development Group.  “We applaud Allen Harim’s investors, their leadership team and the Harbeson staff for their vision and commitment to the project.” 


During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Fraga presented a check for $10,000 through the company’s Watts for Wishes charitable giving program to establish the Allen Harim Legacy Scholarship fund. Allen Harim will provide a $10,000 matching gift, and set up an endowed fund through the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore. 
The Allen Harim Legacy Scholarship will provide $2,500 scholarships for children of employees and growers to attend college or trade schools. The company plans to use the savings from the solar project to grow the endowed fund to provide up to five scholarships a year.
“Some people seem to think we have to choose between having a cleaner, stronger environment and having a robust economy. I disagree. It is possible to pursue policies that protect our environment and public health, while creating jobs and growing our economy,” said US Sen. Tom Carper, ranking member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “By pursuing clean and green energy, businesses like Allen Harim can reduce energy costs and be more competitive. I’m also so very pleased that Allen Harim will reinvest in its employees by using some of the savings toward college scholarships. That’s a true commitment to our local community.”

AEDG is proud to announce its 2016 Partner of the Year Awards.   Each year, AEDG selects those partners whose dedication, commitment, and value-add to our mission to serve Customers is exemplary.  We are proud to announce the award recipients for 2016 Partner of the Year in the following categories:

• Customer (PPA Project):  Allen Harim Foods, Inc.
• Customer (Turnkey Develop-Sale-Purchase Project): Thos. Somerville Co.
• Professional Service Partner:  Mr. Steven E. Speece, Stevens & Lee
• Mid-Atlantic EPC Partner:  CMI Solar & Electric, Inc.
• Northeast EPC Partner:  Aegis Renewable Energy, Inc.
• Origination Partner:  APPI & Barry Casey & Associates
• Financial Partner:  Crestmark Bank

Continuing the banking relationship Crestmark Bank and AEDG originally formed in 2014, Crestmark closed on six Commercial & Industrial scale Solar PV PPA projects with AEDG on a tax equity sale-leaseback structure between September 2016 and January 2017.  The 3.61MWdc Solar PV project portfolio includes five (5) group-net-metered projects in the State of VT and a sixth project in the Commonwealth of MA, all PPA’s for private, for-profit customer off-takers.
"We're excited to continue to power AEDG’s growth and to be part of the alternative energy industry," said Larry Pearce, senior vice president, managing director of Corporate Joint Ventures. 
"From the beginning of our relationship in 2014 and through today, spanning 20 Project financings for Solar PV and Natural Gas Fuel Cell Projects, we continue to be impressed with Crestmark Bank’s team and commitment to entrepreneurial growth companies”, said Chris Fraga, Founder and CEO of AEDG.  “Crestmark lives their mission to be the bank who helps with innovative financing and lending solutions, and we are honored to count Crestmark as a true partner in achieving our mission to help customers save money and be sustainable".