Gorgeous sunset in Vermont
Good news for those going green in New England! This week, a new partnership was announced between groSolar and Green Mountain Power (GMP), that will result in Vermont’s largest solar power project. If you wonder how significant this is, just take a look at the photo to the left. Anything that helps preserve this natural beauty gets a vote from me! Don’t you agree?
The partners have a good, green track record so far. groSolar has completed a 58 kilowatt (kW) solar power system at GMP’s Westminster service center. There, 300 ground-mounted PV panels provide 2/3 of the required electricity to the facility, which also includes Energy Star windows and a heat reflecting roof. Mary Powell, the President and CEO of Green Mountain Power, explains:
“From the beginning of the Westminster remodeling project we really wanted the facility to be an expression of our commitment to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. By partnering with groSolar and utilizing their expertise in solar power, we were able to dramatically reduce the facility’s impact on the environment even further.”
The Westminster project is the second-largest solar power system in Vermont. Perhaps as interesting is the fact that the two companies have worked together before on solar installations. And – I love this part – the companies show that both large and small solar projects are helpful for the environment, and feasible.
The CEO of groSolar observed:
“Both of the projects that we’ve worked on for GMP have been particularly enjoyable for us because they each show the scalability of solar energy. The Westminster project shows how companies can use solar power to meet their power needs on a commercial scale, while the Colchester project demonstrates how the same technology can be used to power a coupe of cars that would be right at home in any average person’s driveway.”
I agree that with the idea that one does not need to build a million dollar solar project to make a difference. Smaller solar projects can add up over time like drops in the bucket to douse global warming.
What will you do in the next few years to advance solar power? I’m thinking that partnerships like the one between groSolar and Green Mountain Power are the companies in which we should be investing.
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