Every community deserves the opportunity to prosper. At United Way of Long Island, we work with our neighbors to build resilient communities that are ready for any challenge. Through initiatives in crisis response, environmental stewardship, and disaster preparedness, we are strengthening the foundations of communities for a more sustainable and secure future.
United Way of Long Island’s NET ZERO Energy Building Campaign is an award-winning, state-of-the-art project that provides essential skills training for populations in need while setting a new standard in renewable energy for non-profit organizations throughout the region.
The project is transforming United Way’s 31,000 sq. ft. headquarters into a building that produces as much energy as it consumes. With one of the largest solar arrays of any not-for-profit commercial building in New York State, United Way will avoid more than $65,000 per year in energy costs, which will be reinvested into existing United Way programs.
The only one of its kind on the East Coast, the E3 SmartBuild Training Center is a state-of-the-art lab where students can come to learn building science, energy efficiency and green construction. A partnership between United Way of Long Island and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the E3 SmartBuild Training Center is a tool that United Way of Long Island uses to offer expanded career opportunities to residents and local business in the green construction and energy efficiency industry.
Long Island is embarking on a transition to an inclusive clean energy powered economy. All residents, businesses and communities across the region will have access to new opportunities to benefit from this transition including clean energy careers, home improvements, even rebates for businesses and personal transportation. But there’s a lot of information out there, and people may not know where to start.
United Way of Long Island’s reputation as experts in weatherization, energy efficiency and sustainability is not limited to the immediate area. Proving itself a leader in the movement of zero-energy ready homes nationwide, United Way of Long Island was named the Grand Award Winner six times and the Award Winner twice in the Affordable Home category of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Housing Innovation Awards. This is the first time a builder from Long Island has been granted this prestigious award.