Two off-site community solar projects in Vermont were recently completed, built and developed by Norwich Solarand funded by Solaris energy And Greenday Finance. These two community solar projects in Vermont will provide more than 2 MWh of renewable energy annually, at a lower cost, for six locally owned dairy farms.
“We are very fortunate to be working with committed property owners to place these solar projects on underutilized land, unlocking additional value for them.” said Kevin Davis, vice president of sales and marketing for Norwich Solar, a Certified B Corp.
Vermont’s own dairy industry generates more than $2.2 billion annually, but ever-shrinking margins have local farmers looking for new ways to compete without losing use of their land. Community solar projects are a great solution.
These community solar projects consist of two ground-mounted 500 kW (864 kWdc) solar panels on less productive land in Newbury and Jamaica, Vermont. The solar projects are designed to help reduce fixed energy costs so the farms can increase their profit margins.
The location in Jamaica (a former gravel pit) promotes the focus on community gathering. It is located next to a neighborhood of trailer homes and the response from residents has been overwhelmingly positive. Several people have come to the site to ask questions and express their general enthusiasm about the project. The Newbury site is a previously logged hill area.
“The Jamaica project in particular was a former gravel mining site that presented a number of design and installation challenges, but the final project is quite attractive to see,” Davis said.
Fellow B Corp, Solaris Energy, provided late-stage development and capital during final completion of the projects. Investor partner Greenday Finance has taken over the long-term ownership and will continue to work with Solaris Energy and Norwich Solar for asset management, operations and maintenance services at both locations.
“It’s wonderful to see locals coming together to care for a community resource – especially one that helps their fellow neighbors and the local economy. It really is a bull’s eye for what solar energy means at the community level.” Commented Nick Francis, director of project development for Solaris Energy.
These two projects in rural America represent what community solar really means. A group of value-aligned solar partners came together to provide a local economic resource that is well supported by the neighborhood, developing projects that support regional renewable energy goals.
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