Description:

Gary Goodrich's farm in Durham, Maine, grows organic vegetables using sustainability in all of its practices and has been doing so for five years. The 17-acre MOFGA certified parcel of land also hosts two barns, greenhouses, and a heated store that requires a lot of electricity to power its ventilation system, cooling fans, coolers, heat pumps, and lights. Rather than using oil or gas energy, the farm chose to harness solar power for most of its utilities. "It's been a great saver for us," said Gary Goodrich, owner of Replenova Farm, who is among a growing number of farmers that are generating solar power to meet their needs. The system was installed by Maine Solar Solutions roughly one year ago. Maine Solar Solutions took various factors into account when designing the system for Goodrich to find the perfect individual solution for the farm. The 59 panels supplied 31,600 kWh of energy in 2020, providing enough power to run the entire farm's electricity over the course of one year. During sunny months, the farm banks excess energy, storing it for colder, cloudier months when the panels will not gather as much energy.

Other Benefits:

The system has also positively impacted the environment offsetting 48,938 pounds of carbon emissions in its first year, equivalent to planting 370 trees.

Maintenance Requirements:

"These systems are pretty well maintenance-free," Goodrich said. "Inverters monitor our system, and we have apps on our phones and computers where we can actually look at the amount of electricity that is being produced on an hourly, daily, and yearly basis."

My Motivation:

Goodrich said it makes sense for farmers and local businesses to look at all options to help save money, and solar can be a viable answer for many. "If we can do projects like this to not only save money but help our environment and give back to our communities, just by taking advantage of something as abundant as the sun, then it's worth looking into," Goodrich said.

Advice:

Goodrich said it makes sense for farmers and local businesses to look at all options to help save money, and solar can be a viable answer for many.

Experience with Installer:

"It's been a great saver for us," said Gary Goodrich, owner of Replenova Farm, who is among a growing number of farmers that are generating solar power to meet their needs. The system was installed by Maine Solar Solutions roughly one year ago. Maine Solar Solutions took various factors into account when designing the system for Goodrich to find the perfect individual solution for the farm. "We are very pleased with the system's performance," said Goodrich, "it was not a cookie-cutter design and they took the time to get to know me, my needs and energy goals not just in the present but for the future. "Everything about Maine Solar Solutions really has exceeded our expectations.

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