For more than a year now, Terrace Communities for Assisted Living & Memory Care in Vermont has been reducing its carbon footprint through a solar array that benefits three of its Vermont communities: Equinox Terrace in Manchester; Woodstock Terraces in Woodstock; and Valley Terrace in White River Junction. Kate Heaton, owner of Terrace Communities, says she began looking to switch to solar in 2018 as a way to align with the organization’s values and save money while helping the environment.
Working with Norwich Solar Technologies Inc. (White River Junction, Vt.), Heaton says the project team originally considered constructing solar panels on the buildings at the communities before deciding to invest in an off-campus solar array that would benefit multiple locations without requiring construction or building alteration. Kevin Davis, vice president at Norwich Solar Technologies, which built the 2,200-solar panel array, says the company leased land near Springfield, Vt., for the project. “Because the community isn’t directly connected to the solar farm, the utility takes the credits that are generated from the solar project as measured by the electric meter there and allocates those credits to the customer’s electric bill,” he says.
The solar project saved the three locations more than $12,000 in 2020, as well as produced enough renewable energy to cut back 638 metric tons of carbon dioxide produced by the burning of fossil fuels, Heaton says. “In the big picture, we all want to be good citizens, and we believe this is a wonderful way to show our values,” she says.
