Maine state officials cut the ribbon on a community solar project last week that counts Maine Beer Co. as one of its main subscribers. Connected in Central Maine Power (CMP) service territory, the project is part of Maine’s Net Energy Billing Tariff Rate program and will save the brewery money on its annual electric costs while simultaneously supporting the expansion of renewable energy.
Maine Beer Co. is no stranger to solar energy as the brewery already offsets about 50 percent of its energy load with its own installed solar system.
“As a company that made a commitment to the environment from day one, we are excited to work with Nexamp in expanding the clean energy options in Maine both for businesses and individuals,” stated Maine Beer Company CEO Steve Mills. “Community solar provided by Nexamp supplements the solar power we create on our campus at Maine Beer Company, getting us closer and closer to our goal of operating 100% on clean energy.”
Maine Beer’s own system is a 55.12-kW system mounted on ground-mounted trackers.
Community solar, by contrast, allows residents, businesses, non-profits and others to participate in the benefits of solar energy without having to install rooftop panels or make an up-front investment. Participants subscribe to a solar energy project and earn discounted credits on their monthly utility bills for their portion of the energy the solar project produces.
In addition to the brewery, this project benefits homes and city buildings as well.
“Fully developed and constructed by Nexamp, this is one of the first of our many active projects across Maine to go live,” explains Chris Clark, Chief Development Officer, Nexamp. “Rising energy costs and an urgent need to further the country’s energy independence objectives are driving the deployment of distributed renewable energy resources.”
Located north of Portland in Oxford County, the Rumford Solar farm features more than 16,000 solar modules to generate 6.5 MWdc of solar energy.
“Rumford is an ideal place to live and work and we are committed to maintaining our beautiful landscape while ensuring that we do the right thing for the environment and our residents,” says George O’Keefe, Economic Development Director, Town of Rumford. “We have been working closely with Nexamp on this project for several years and are proud to help cut the ribbon today on a solar site that supports the production of renewable energy right here in town, helping the town and our residents save money while contributing to a better, cleaner environment for future generations of families in Maine.”
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