RFCC’s Solar Panel Project – A Brief Description and History

The Ramona Food & Clothes Closet (RFCC) is pleased to announce the installation of a solar power system effective December 31, 2022. The power from this system will greatly reduce the thrift store’s electric bill.  This will enable RFCC to turn more funds back to our community to further our mission of providing community grants, educational scholarships, homeless programs, and emergency assistance in Ramona, Santa Ysabel, Julian, Wynola, Ranchita, Borrego Springs, Warner Springs and outlying rural areas of San Diego County.

The solar panel system consists of 111 panels generating a nominal 50 kW of electricity and is installed on top of an elevated parking structure. This structure will provide shade for various community events such as food giveaways and parking lot sales as well as covered parking spots behind our thrift store at 773 Main Street. The system has two batteries that will supply power for the walk-in cooler and store lighting in case of a temporary loss of grid power. This allows customers to finish their transactions and safely depart the thrift store.

This project would not have been possible without a generous grant from the County of San Diego and the Community Development Block Grant program. The Housing and Community Development Services group was instrumental in assisting us in every phase of the process. The system was designed and installed by Verza Solar Electric, a local small business. Additional thanks goes to LTS Solar Electric who served as technical consultant on this project. We also appreciate the patience of our loyal customers during the construction process.