Encore Renewable Energy built a 1.65-MWAC/2.3-MWDC solar array at a former gravel pit in Hardwick, Vermont that will serve homes and businesses in the city.
Credit: Encore Renewable Energy
“This new solar array on an underutilized gravel pit will bring tremendous value to Hardwick Electric customers,” said Michael Sullivan, general manager of the Hardwick Electric Department. “Delivering renewable, reliable and, most of all, affordable electricity to our customers is paramount and our community can feel confident knowing that Hardwick Electric has invested in cost-effective solar energy.”
The project site, owned by Hardwick Electric Department, was recently decommissioned. The solar array site now includes pollinator-friendly ground cover to support vital habitat for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths and other insects while improving soil quality and increasing carbon sequestration.
“Municipal utilities like Hardwick Electric are responding to their customers’ desires for more sources of clean energy and are leading the energy transition here in Vermont,” said Chad Farrell, CEO and founder of Encore Renewable Energy. “This new array is a prime example of solar delivering triple bottom line value by converting a former town-owned gravel pit into an income-generating asset for the Town of Hardwick and its municipal electric customers.”
This is the fourth solar array to come online since the partnership between Encore Renewable Energy and Vermont Public Power Supply Authority was formed in 2018. Under the partnership, Encore will construct approximately 10 MW of solar capacity across VPPSA member utility territories and VPPSA will manage the electric generation, moving Vermont closer to its commitment of 90% renewable energy by 2050.
News item from Encore Renewable Energy
It’s amazing to see the versatility of solar panels and how they can be placed just about anywhere. It’s even better when unusable land is not repurposed to be solar farms.