The Wells Reserve at Laudholm is the first nonprofit in Maine to get 100 percent of its energy needs from solar power and they’re celebrating with a party on Friday, March 20 — the vernal equinox.
The solar conversion began in 2012, according to communications director Scott Richardson, and the first solar panels were installed in 2013. The Wells Reserve is a 2,250-acre research site located on the historic Laudholm Farm complex. According to Richardson, the organization wanted to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and set an example for minimizing carbon emissions. But there was also a practical benefit to going solar.
“It’s an old historic farm complex, and its expensive to keep these buildings going. We started with an attempt to conserve energy first and then work toward converting to solar for all our electrical needs,” he said. “This … will be a big benefit for us in the long term.”
Funding for the solar project was raised through a combination of grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other groups, donations from the reserve’s members, and rebates secured through Efficiency Maine. The project cost about $207,000, Richardson said.
The reserve appears to be the first nonprofit in Maine to go completely solar. “We’ve done our best to ask those who know, and it seems like … we’re the first to reach the 100 percent threshold,” Richardson said.
Maine Sen. Angus King will also be on hand for the March 20 celebration, which begins at 3:30 p.m. For more information or to register, call 207-646-1555 or visit wellsreserve.org.