Cary Hayes Named Impact Advisor for Honnold Foundation
Boulder, Colorado, August 28, 2024 – REC Group, an international pioneering solar energy company headquartered in Norway, is honored to announce that Cary Hayes, President of REC Americas, has been named an Impact Advisor for the Honnold Foundation. The Honnold Foundation (HF), founded by professional rock climber Alex Honnold in 2012, partners with marginalized communities to build equitable solar energy access. HF believes in solar as a proven, environmentally sound solution to global energy poverty and awards grants to community organizations throughout the Americas.
REC Group has been a proud partner of the Honnold Foundation since 2019 and has supported a myriad of community projects through in-kind, cutting edge product and philanthropic dollars. A strong supporter of Alex and the Foundation’s mission, Cary Hayes will bring a deep expertise in the solar industry and in this advisory capacity with the Honnold Foundation.
When asked to sum up his feelings on the appointment, Cary answered: “In a word…stoked! Alex has assembled an incredible cast of high impact players at HF, and I’m fortunate to work with them in furthering our mutual goals. I am honored and, as Alex would say, ‘delighted’ to be working on such an important mission with such a talented crew.”
The feeling is mutual for Alex Honnold: “REC has been a huge supporter of our work for years. I frequently tell people I trust, including our grantee partners, ‘do what you think is best,’ and I see REC acting the same way thanks to Cary's leadership. I'm excited to have Cary's continued support in his new role as Impact Advisor.”
Emily Teitsworth, Executive Director for the Honnold Foundation, expressed the team’s excitement for their newest Impact Advisor: “We’re grateful to build on our continued partnership with REC Americas, led by Cary’s leadership and a shared commitment to solar philanthropy. REC’s philanthropic ethos mirrors our own: trust-based partnerships rooted in the knowledge that marginalized communities know the solutions to their energy needs the best. We just have to give them the resources to make those dreams a reality.”
Hayes and Honnold will take the stage at the upcoming RE+ conference in Anaheim, California, presenting “Mobilizing Risk-Tolerant Capital to Lead the Energy Transition: A Fireside Chat with Alex Honnold and Cary Hayes”. Together they aim to educate the solar community around the ongoing constraints to scale solar energy solutions, particularly within marginalized communities.
To learn more about the Honnold Foundation and find out how you can support today, please visit https://www.honnoldfoundation.org/.
For media inquiries please contact:
Hannah Raines
Marketing Manager, REC Americas
Tel.: 530-559-1928
E-mail: hannah.raines@recgroup.com
About REC Group:
REC Group is an international pioneering solar energy company dedicated to empowering consumers with clean, affordable solar power through high-quality solar panels with a leading power density. As Solar’s Most Trusted, REC is known for its patented innovations and multiple award-winning products with reliable long-term performance. The cornerstone for REC’s strong reliability is advanced and highly efficient manufacturing using Industry 4.0 practices. Founded in 1996 in Norway, REC has always been committed to a low carbon footprint in its solar materials and panels. REC is headquartered in Norway with operational headquarters in Singapore and regional hubs in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. As of December 2021, REC is part of Reliance Industries Limited, India’s largest private sector company with revenues of USD 118.6 billion.
About Honnold Foundation:
The Honnold Foundation envisions a world where marginalized communities lead the transition to renewable energy, with the resources they need to adapt and thrive. We believe in solar as a proven, environmentally sound solution to global energy poverty, and we award grants to community organizations whose projects are innovative, equity-focused, and have the potential to shift the narrative on what’s possible for energy access worldwide.
