Solar Array - Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust

Crystal Spring Farm Community Solar Project

Capacity: 78.65 Kilowatts (KW)

286 photovoltaic solar panels, 275 watts/panel

Host: Crystal Spring Farm, with concurrence of the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust (landowner).

Participants: Crystal Spring Farm plus seven other Brunswick families without access to solar electricity where they live.

Installation company: ReVision Energy.

Objective: Supply 100% of each member’s annual electricity needs from a clean, renewable energy source: the sun.

How it Works: Each member owns a percentage interest in the solar array. All the power goes on the Central Maine Power distribution grid, which is how the electricity gets to each member. The grid also functions like a giant storage battery. Each participant gets a monthly bill credit from CMP for the member’s share of the total solar energy produced.

Climate Friendly: Saves 75 tons/year of CO2 that an equivalent amount of power produced from fossil fuels would put in the atmosphere. This modest project will eliminate about 2,700 tons of CO2 over its useful life.

Useful Life: 30-40 years.

Financing: Each member funded their share of the cost of the array. Crystal Spring Farm’s participation was funded by loans, plus gifts to defray some of its capital investment, from supporters of local agriculture. With heartfelt thanks to the vision and generosity of each of these supporters:

Louise Bowditch

Bob & Marge Healing

Daniel Morganstern & Moriah Moser

Wendy Walsh & Jerielle Young

Members of Crystal Spring Farm Community Solar Association:

(Michael Cain & Debra VamVikites, Jamie Ecker & Jane Nichols-Ecker,

Cathy Fogler & Bruce Ketchum, Tom Rumpf & Annee Tara,

Peter Simmons & Charlotte Agell, David & June Vail

Steve & Susan Weems)

For more information, contact:

Steve Weems

Crystal Spring Farm Community Solar Association