Visitors to Wells Reserve’s Ecology Center at historic Laudholm Farm are now greeted by an example of 21st century technology: a rooftop full of 142 grid-tied solar electric panels that provide most of the facility’s electric needs.

With 2,250 acres of salt marsh, freshwater wetland, beach, dune, forest, and field under management, the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve protects a vital part of Southern Maine’s ecosystem, as well as its history. The buildings at the Laudholm Farm campus (where the Reserve is headquartered) harken back to the region’s farming history – a tradition that dates back to the first European settlements almost 400 years ago, and Native American settlements before that. Wells Reserve is one of 28 National Estuarine Research Reserves across the country, and focuses its effort on research, education, and environmental stewardship.

Sustainable and ecologically-friendly practices have been core to construction and renovation projects since the Reserve’s inception. Efforts over the years include remodeling and adapting centuries-old buildings to new purposes, and use of sustainably-harvested, locally milled wood and efficient heating systems in the two new buildings (a research center and a 20-bed dormitory). As part of standard practice, the Reserve continuously examines ways to recycle materials and reduce their carbon output.

The addition of the solar electric array inagurates a “New era of energy consumption and generation for Wells Reserve,” according to Reserve Director Paul Dest. “In this multi-year, multi-phase era we will switch to alternative energy sources, reduce our annual carbon emissions, and improve the energy efficiency of our buildings and equipment. There is a monetary as well as an environmental benefit: These improvements will reduce our operating costs, allowing us to concentrate our funding on environmental research and education.”

Solar: Offering Energy Bill and Carbon Savings

It’s hard to separate environmental stewardship from energy in current times, when climate change threatens the world’s oceans with acidification, warming, and rising sea levels. The solar array is expected to produce 42,000 kilowatt-hours of clean, renewable energy each year, offsetting an estimated 54,000 pounds of carbon emissions from fossil fuel energy sources. In addition to the carbon reductions, the array is expected to save the Reserve $6,000 to $7,000 annually.

ReVision Energy’s installers wrapped up installation on the array just after the spring equinox, and to date the system has produced over 5MW of electricity. The Reserve has made data on the system available publicly at: http://www.sunnyportal.com/Templates/PublicPage.aspx?page=189b19e2-3e3b-4864-8e06-e8a223a93890 and plans to add a public kiosk on-site at the Ecology Center for visiting guests to see.

The Reserve is now finishing fundraising for an additional solar array at their Alheim Commons: http://www.wellsreserve.org/support/, and is planning a ribbon cutting event on May 18 during their “Spring Spiff Up” day.

Funding for the Reserve’s solar power system came from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the Mattina R. Proctor Foundation, the Davis Conservation Foundation, and individual donors to Laudholm Trust.

Thirty years ago, Tom Shealy had moved from Massachusetts to Stratham, New Hampshire to set up his own dental practice and enjoy the good life.

The nation was still reeling from the memory of the 1973 OPEC oil embargo and, with emerging solar energy technologies, seemed poised to launch from the fossil fuel age into an era of renewable energy. The Carter administration made renewable energy a priority and homeowners like Shealy were eligible for rebates on solar equipment, such as the technology created by Concord, MA based Acorn Structures.

At the time, Acorn had a passive solar home design using a ‘trickle down’ active solar collector for solar domestic hot water and space heating. Shealy took advantage of the Carter-era programs to invest in an Acorn home, the product of some of the best engineering minds at the time, and a concept that fascinated editors of Popular Science and writers of books on energy efficiency.

How the Acorn Worked

A large amount of roofspace (roughly 480 square feet) would consist of a single-glazed solar hot water collector – basically an aluminum sheet with copper tubes on top, covered with fiberglass insulation to help retain heat. Water would be pumped from a large (2,400 gallon) insulated water tank housed in the basement and up into the collectors, where it would then ‘trickle down’ back into the storage tank. The upper (hottest) water in this storage tank would head into the home’s domestic hot water supply, while water in an inner ‘buffer’ tank would be pumped through the home’s heating system.

While this water-based process was happening, the home would also take advantage of its passive solar orientation. The Acorn homes were built facing-south with large solariums (south-facing rooms with lots of glass) that ducted warm air to a concrete slab below the house. This solar-warmed air would then be blown through an insulated central air shaft, and into the house. Along the way, the air would breeze across a loop from the water-based heating system and whisk heat from the solar-heated water into the home. Due to the unique design of the system, the water only needed to be heated to 70 degrees to contribute to home space heating.

While complex, this combination of active/passive solar combinations was enormously more efficient than relying on #2 heating oil for home heating – and 30 years later, the Shealy household was still using it! However, all good things come to an end, and after nearly 30 years of operation the Acorn home was showing signs of age.

Re-Investing in Solar

“We’d been very happy with the Acorn home and our investment in solar,” Tom says, “But we noticed a deterioration in system performance in the last couple years of life. Finally it started leaking, and we knew we needed to do something.”

Tom called us in, and our team of solar engineers worked together to come up with the best way to get the Shealy’s system back into good working order. We discovered that the solar water storage tank and heat exchangers still worked, but that the pumping system and collectors would need to be replaced. We chose Wagner Euro C-20 flat plate solar hot water collectors, which boast an anti-reflex glass with light tranmissivity of 96%. 2.5″ of insulation surround the copper piping in these collectors, which is enclosed in a weatherproof aluminum frame.

The drain-down, ‘trickle’ pumping system was replaced a pressurized, glycol-based heat transfer system that would be more resilient in both freezing and high-heat conditions. We added an external heat exchanger to transfer heat from the pressurized loop to the existing Acorn tank, which continues to operate as it has for decades, pumping hot water up to the taps and blowing warm air into the house.

A Whole Lot Warmer

“The difference was immediately obvious,” Tom says of the installation. “The old collectors had been having trouble getting the tank temperature above 90 degrees the last six years, while the new system is much more efficient.”

Now as he nears retirement, Tom enjoys the peace of mind knowing that the costs of his home are predictable and provided courtesy of the sun. “We’ve enjoyed our solar array for almost 30 years but we also enjoyed seeing how far the technology has come. I hope we see another 30 years of sunshine ahead of us.”

When Kimry Corrette invited ReVision Energy to her home for a site evaluation in August of 2012, she hardly thought it would lead to not just a solar energy installation in her home, but a new career in the solar industry.

Kimry and her husband, Corey, have lived in their passive solar house on the outskirts of Durham for six years. Over that time, they worked on reducing their home’s energy use to the lowest reasonable level, while building an expanding menagerie along the way (3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 goats, and a motley bunch of chickens). However, the time had come to push their home to the next level. An article of Mother Earth News informed them that solar had become a lot more affordable, and so the young couple looked into what solar energy could do for their New England home.

“When [Exeter branch manager] Dan Clapp came to my house, I was moved by how far the solar industry has come and I wanted to be part of it,” Kimry says, “Sometime after our visit, Corey was looking at ReVision’s website and noticed they were hiring – it just seemed like a perfect fit.”

Kimry joined us as an office assistant to help manage the vast amount of paperwork needed to keep jobs moving efficiently in New Hampshire and Massachusett’s regulatory environment. Meanwhile, ReVision Energy got to work planning the installation on Kimry’s home.

Solar in the Snow

“We were swamped with a huge snow storm right before the installation,” Kimry says, “The day after, the crew was out there, shoveling a trench to where they needed to install the wire and cleaning snow off the roof. Once they got the snow out of the way, I was amazed at how efficiently the crew got to work.”

Coming from previous employment for a more conventional contractor, Kimry was impressed at our crew’s professionalism and team spirit. “I had heard all sorts of great things about our crew from customers I talked to, but seeing it is another thing entirely. I came from a world where the installers were a bit rough around the edges, and ReVision’s crew was a stark contrast. The guys always had a smile on their face, were extra courteous when working in our home, and were very articulate when I asked them all sorts of questions about the particulars of the system installation.”

The Joy of Solar

The Correttes had us install 16 American-made all black Suniva solar modules with Enphase inverters, for a production capacity of 4.2kw, plenty enough to provide for their home’s electricity needs.

Now that it’s installed, Kimry finds all sorts of intangible benefits besides a negated electric bill. “It’s just great to look out and see the sun shine and be happy about it,” Kimry says. “I find myself looking at the production each day, eager to see how one day compares to the next, and getting excited as the days get longer. It’s surprising how much sunshine there is, even in February!”

Of course, living with solar is also the best way to understand the systems, and Kimry’s been able to apply her own experience as she helps out customers. “While there’s a lot to learn at first, when you get down to it, it’s a simple system. When the sun is out, our home is making power, we’re saving fossil fuel and saving money. I love what it does!”

Kimry is not alone among ReVision Energy staffers – in fact, just about every ReVision Energy employee who owns their home has a renewable energy system installed on top. Get some ideas on how to make your home more sustainable by reading through our employee bios.

Thanks to Heikki Perry of The Green Alliance who wrote this article. Photos courtesy Colby Sawyer College

ReVision Energy has partnered with Colby-Sawyer College to build one of the largest solar photovoltaic arrays in New Hampshire, initiating a significant step toward the college’s long-term goal of becoming a carbon-neutral campus by 2050. A total of 517 solar photovoltaic panels have been installed on the roofs of four campus buildings at no expense out of pocket to Colby Sawyer, offering electricity from the sun more cost effectively than the traditional power company and fossil fuels can offer.

The system provides a visible manifestation of Colby-Sawyer’s commitment to sustainability and an example of active renewable energy systems on campus. Over the 25-year warranty life of the panels, the system will generate more than 3.3 million kilowatt-hours bringing more than $435,000 of anticipated utility savings to the campus. Colby-Sawyer’s solar energy system is expected to generate roughly 152,000 kwh of electricity annually, thereby eliminating more than 197,000 pounds of CO2 emissions from regional fossil-fuel power plants each year.

The project was financed by ReVision Energy through a power purchase agreement between Colby-Sawyer and the company, by which the college pays no up-front costs for the installation. ReVision leases the roof spaces from the college for a nominal fee and will own and operate the panels for six years, after which the college has the option to purchase the panels or simply continue buying power from the array. Power generated by the panels feeds into the existing electrical system of each building, and Colby-Sawyer will pay ReVision a discounted rate for the power the panels generate.

“ReVision Energy is a mission-driven company that wants to get more renewable energy systems out there in the world and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. As a business, ReVision can take advantage of the 30 percent federal tax credit, state rebates and other financial incentives that nonprofits in New Hampshire can’t actually access,” says Colby-Sawyer’s Sustainability Coordinator Jennifer White.

More Cost Effective than Fossil Fuels

“With the tremendous reduction in solar electric panel prices since 2008, ReVision Energy is proud to show that solar power is actually substantially more cost effective than our traditional fossil fuel-based power generators,” says Steve Condon, sales and marketing manager with ReVision. “Generating our electricity from the sun is predictable, available, and has no negative impact on the surrounding environment. And, the campus will save money on day one.”

New Hampshire has a number of progressive clean energy incentive programs available to homeowners, business owners and non-profit institutions to help jumpstart the state’s renewable energy economy and accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. On Colby-Sawyer’s behalf, ReVision applied for and was awarded a $100,000 grant from the N.H. Public Utilities Commission.

“For six years, Colby-Sawyer will write two checks to pay for electricity, one to Public Service of New Hampshire and one to ReVision,” says White. “Combined, the total is less than what we would have been paying otherwise, thanks to the grant, the rebates and ReVision’s discounted rate for the solar power produced.”

With a lifespan of up to four decades, the panels should still be in prime condition in six years, when Colby-Sawyer will have the option to purchase the system from ReVision. When the system is college-owned, all power generated by the panels will be free at which point campus savings is expected to be approximately $20,000 annually.

“ReVision Energy has both a mission to help the reduce the region’s C02 emissions and nonprofits are a large part of that community. That is why we are proud to be able to make solar attainable to the institution through a power purchase agreement,” Condon says. “These PPAs allow ReVision Energy to own and operate the array for a short period of time while passing the tax benefits and solar energy production off to the customer. Over a six-year period the customer recognizes a substantially reduced investment through the tax benefits that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to take advantage of as a nonprofit. Our goal at ReVision is to help our nonprofits attain ownership of their power needs in just a few years.”

As for working with ReVision, Colby-Sawyer is nothing but pleased, says Sustainability Coordinator White.

“Working with ReVision was a great experience. All of the staff were friendly, professional and knowledgeable, and they led us carefully through each part of the process, from introducing the PPA concept to the administration, to applying —and receiving — the NHPUC grant, to the installation itself. We’re looking forward to utilizing the web-based tracking software in classes as well, and the students love having solar panels on campus.

“If the opportunity presented itself, I would definitely work with ReVision Energy again.”

273 American-made Suniva solar panels sit atop Proctor Academy’s Wilkins Meeting House

Proctor Academy‘s environmental mission statement, drafted with help from students, is “to teach and practice sustainability throughout our school community” – and by practice this means heating with geothermal, biomass, and wood boilers. Roughly 25% of their wood is harvested on-site.

The school, located in Andover, New Hampshire, contacted ReVision Energy to investigate how we could help them harness their solar resource without a massive capital investment. We proposed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) by which the school pays no upfront cost for the system, but instead agrees to buy the clean solar electricity from the array at a discount compared to buying kWhs from the power company (more about PPAs here: http://www.revisionenergy.com/maine-nh-nonprofit-solar-power.php). With this structure in place, the project moved forward: 273 American-made Suniva solar panels went up on the roof of Proctor Academy’s Wilkins Meeting House in the weeks leading up to Christmas 2012.

John Ferris, Chief Financial and Operating Officer of Proctor Academy, explains that the solar “Is a triple win: it promotes educational goals, improves our financial situation, and promotes a better world and environment. We don’t have many opportunities to meet all three goals with a single project and so we were thrilled to make our first solar investment.”

A Student-Driven Commitment

Like their mission statement, Proctor’s exploration into solar started with their students. Students measured the south-facing rooftops of Proctor’s campus and identified solar opportunities. What the students found was that the roof of their Wilkins Meeting House was ideal for solar and would be able to hold a significant solar array.

“The students are very enthusiastic,” Ferris says, “We have a celebration planned next Thursday (Jan 17th) which includes a ‘cable cutting’ ceremony to symbolize our reduced reliance on fossil fuel electricity from the grid. There’s quite a lot planned and it’s all led by the students.”

Helping the educational mission will be real-time data supplied by the solar array. Solar production will be available using the inverter’s online monitoring feature (SolRenView) or at a large kiosk display located inside the Meeting House. The system is estimated to produce over 90,000 kWh each year, offsetting an estimated 121,000+ lbs of C02 emissions from fossil fuel power sources. Over 30 years the system is projected to save Proctor Academy over $250,000 in utility costs.

ReVision Energy was grateful for the opportunity to design and install a number of solar projects for educational institutions in 2012 through our new power purchase agreement (PPA) program: 26kw for Good Will-Hinckley, 37kw for Unity College, 170kw for Thomas College, and 71kw for Proctor Academy.

Anita Brosius-Scott stands next to her PV array to help Connect the Dots on Climate Change. Her home is now a net-producer of electricity each year.

The road to a more sustainable future happens one home at a time, and for Anita Brosius-Scott and Geoff Scott, that meant installing a solar photovoltaic system that would allow them to eliminate their electric bill.

“We originally thought that this kind of system was out of our price range, but we kept bumping into [ReVision] at events and eventually decided we’d at least get a quote for our home,” says Anita, “After meeting with [System Designer] Hans Albee, we found that a solar array was within our reach, especially due to a generous suite of state and federal incentives.”

Those incentives include a 30% uncapped federal tax credit and $2,000 Maine state rebate. The cash rebate remains available for now but funding is a bit uncertain in the second half of 2013; we are hopeful the new legislature will enact new rebate funding to keep the program going in the years ahead. Solar electric arrays also benefit from record low prices – the cost of solar panels has dropped by more than 50% since 2009 and, while costs are no longer dropping precipitously, they are on track to remain at record low prices through 2013.

When Economics Help the Environment

The solar array is quite low-profile on the Brosius-Scott home, located just outside the heart of Camden.

The Brosius-Scott’s array turned on the spring of 2011, and since its installation they have done several energy efficiency upgrades in their home, resulting in an overall 25% drop in electric consumption. The effect of this conservation is that a system which was designed to produce 95% of their electric bill has actually led to them becoming a net producer of electricity – meaning that their solar array produces more electricity each year than they consume.

Geoff and Anita loved that they could make a solar investment that allowed them to “walk the walk” of their values. “We’re concerned about climate change and feel that local energy production is part of the solution,” Geoff says, “Now that it’s installed, we have a system that requires no maintenance, has lowered our electric bills, and makes me feel good every time I drive home and see sun hitting the roof.”

“Net zero is the way we all need to go” says Justin McIver, summing up the building philosophy and value proposition of his Main Eco Homes (MEH).

30-year-old McIver is a Fryeburg-native and the son of an electrician, so trades are a way of life for him and his family. But after studying environmental issues as part of his business curriculum at Colby Sawyer College in New London, NH, McIver realized that energy efficiency would be critical to the future of the building trade – and the future of the planet.

“There’s just no room for the status quo anymore,” McIver says, “Conventional building saves a little bit of money in the short-term, but long-term is a terrible proposition for both the homeowner and the environment. Our homes save you money from day one. The average Maine home spends $300 a month on heat and electricity, ours costs $0. Rolled into a mortgage, going net zero is a cash flow positive investment.”

Traditional Look, Net Zero Performance

For McIver’s MEH, it was important that premium performance not affect building aesthetics. His first custom model home, built in Sweden, is a 2,000 sq. ft. traditional craftsman building with views of Mt. Washington. “We aimed to create a classic American look, not a space age modern look,” says McIver, “Apart from the solar panels on the roof there’s not much about it that draws attention to itself.”

And solar panels it has – the 39 solar panels on the roof of the MEH model resale home will produce roughly 12,000 kWh each year, enough to power all of the ‘plug’ loads in the home as well as a mini-split air source heat pump heating system. The home features a suite of Energy Star appliances including range, dryer, and refrigerator. An efficient electric water tank will provide hot water for dishes, laundry, showers, etc.

A Collaborative Proces

ReVision frequently works with builders like McIver, as well as architects, engineers, and other building professionals throughout the early stages of a project to ensure that goals for solar integration can be achieved.

For example, a home’s overall orientation is critical, and so is ensuring there is adequate south-facing roofspace to accommodate solar panels. ReVision engineers – such as Geoff Sparrow, who worked closely with McIver – can model the expected performance of a solar array and compare it to the home’s expected energy consumption using advanced software such as PolySun. By integrating discussions of solar early in the process, the solar project can be installed more economically and effectively.

For his part, McIver is more than satisfied. “Geoff was a great resource who went above and beyond to ensure we got the information we needed and that everything moved along smoothly. So far the solar has been performing trouble-free and meeting or exceeding our expectations. We look forward to doing more.”

Facing a Warmer Future

On a walkthrough of the home with a group of Fryeburg high school students, McIver brought global issues down to the local. Quoted in the Conway Daily Sun, he says:

Due to climate change, [more extreme storms] are happening now. If you think it doesn’t impact you, it does. And the changes that your generation makes will make a difference. It’s incumbent on all of us to do the little things, too. When you don’t turn off the lights when you leave a room, for instance, not only does it cost more money, it also puts more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere … [But] it’s becoming more practical to build [net zero] homes… By building these, I am reducing carbon emissions and fossil fuels that harm our environment and which contribute to greenhouse gases. My mission is to become energy independent of fossil fuels.

Driven by an environmental as well as an economic mission, McIver is ambitious. His next project is to build a complete energy efficient community in Raymond, and future plans include proposing a solar farm to the town of Bridgton.

“The time for doing this is now,” McIver says, “When you look at the numbers, long-term, it just makes sense. When you look at the environment… you realize that it’s the way we have to go. I’ve read that 70% of people buy for efficiency and 30% buy for the environment. Now, you can do both. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Learn more about the net-zero home at Maine Eco Homes. The home is currently listed with RE/MAX at the Lake Real Estate of Bridgton, and tours are offered on an ongoing basis. You can also see a tour that was recorded online at: http://youtu.be/DHG8K5mCgN4

Rising oil prices at his North Conway home prompted Kevin Cassidy to explore other options. The second home (primarily used in the winter) is well-insulated, but relies on oil for heat and hot water. So Kevin got in touch with ReVision Energy’s Dan Clapp, who took a look at the home to see what options made the most sense.

“Dan came out with his dog Bella Bluebird and surveyed the house. He asked me a bunch of questions about utility bills and took all the solar measurements,” Kevin says, “He even climbed up on the roof with a solar pathfinder to do a solar energy survey. What we discovered is that due to shading issues solar was not a great fit for the home in North Conway, but then we got to talking about our primary home in Amesbury, Massachusetts. After talking with Dan I discovered our Amesbury home offered a better opportunity to save on power bills and reduce our fossil electricity consumption.”

What a Difference a State Makes

While a 30% federal tax credit is available anywhere in the U.S. for solar installations, state rebate programs vary quite a lot. Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts all have state rebate programs (up to $2,000, $3,750, and $4,250 respectively), but adding to the mix in Massachusetts are state SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Certificates) which offer an additional, market-based incentive worth roughly ~$0.25 per kWh generated (about double the value of the average kWh saved on an electric utility bill).

The SREC program, which exists because utilities are required to purchase a certain amount of solar power to meet their Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements, means that a solar investment pays for itself very quickly in Massachusetts – as little as 5-7 years (compared to ~10 years in Maine and New Hampshire). This has lead to massive growth in the solar industry, with over 27,000 KW of solar installed by mid 2012, putting Massachusetts in the top 10 states for solar in the U.S.

Another result of this solar boom is that national companies which offer solar leasing have invested heavily in Massachusetts, which has both good and bad effects. The good? Many homeowners can benefit from a 0-down lease, which offers a solar installation for no upfront cost, but paid for monthly for a bit less than it costs for their current power bill. The bad? Over the course of 20 years, those leases offer a much better deal for the solar company than the homeowner, as all of the state and federal incentives, electricity generation, and SREC benefits all go to the solar company instead of to the homeowner.

As Kevin started looking around, it quickly became clear that system ownership offered by ReVision was a significantly better deal than a solar lease. “I was surprised to find out that two of the national installers were only interested in leasing a system,” Kevin says, “Another local company pressed us to lease at first but when I insisted that I only wanted to purchase because I feel purchasing is a better investment they sent me a proposal. However, after considering the other options and doing some additional online research I found that ReVision had offered us a very fair proposal. Because of the deal we received from ReVision and the feedback I had seen on their web page, we felt good with the proposal and decided to move forward.”

Boots on the Roof

Before the panels were ready to go up, Kevin needed to complete some other roofing projects such as moving a vent stack and re-roofing the south-facing side so that the roof system will be maintenance free for 30+ years. Then came the paperwork.

“We needed to get approval from the Mass CEC, a typical slow-moving government agency. The approval process dragged on for 6 weeks as we got them all of the data required. [Exeter Office Manager] Heather was instrumental in pushing this forward and keeping us up to date on the status. The install was actually the easiest part of the process. Chris, Chris, and Bill were very professional and extremely hard working and took the time to answer all of my questions and explain the fine details to me while they worked. The install took 3 days and could have probably been only 2 if I left them alone!”

Now that the system’s installed, Kevin is happy knowing that he is doing his part to curb climate change and saving money at the same time. A handy iPhone app lets him see his Solectria inverter’s system production in real time, including historic data and overall environmental footprint.

“Nothing beats the pleasure of looking at my meter and seeing it spin backwards,” Kevin says, “ReVision has been a great company to work with and I’m proud to actually own the source of my solar electric production. I look forward to decades of free electricity from the sun!”