This solar farm was built on an abandoned gravel pit Leave a comment

An abandoned gravel pit was the ideal site for this community solar farm in Maine, because nearly 90% of the state is forested.

The Wishcamper Hampden solar farm is in Hampden and was built by owner Wishcamper Companies, a clean energy and real estate investor and project developer ReVision Energy.

The $15 million, 6.77 megawatt (MW) project will generate an estimated 8,700 MWh of clean energy annually. The clean power generated will be the equivalent of the energy use of 776 homes.

The 25-acre site was once home to a gravel pit. Charlie Duprey, vice president of solar development for Wishcamper, told Maine Public, “When we think about solar siting, this is probably the best site I’ve ever seen – off the main road, not visible, an old piece of land that wasn’t being used for anything else.”

And ReVision Energy cofounder Phil Coupe said [via Solar Power World], “Because Maine is [one of] the most heavily forested states in the nation, meaning lots of shady rooftops and places where solar isn’t viable, we need these large-scale, ground-mounted solar projects to help our communities and institutions move away from burning oil and gas.”

The gravel pit-sited community solar farm will supply multiple off-takers, including the Deer Island/Stonington School District, College of the Atlantic, Isle au Haut Power Company, Bangor Water District, and the town of Blue Hill.

Maine has a goal of reaching 100% clean electricity by 2040.

Read more: Renewables expand to 23% of US electrical generation in 2023, with solar in the lead

To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – ad*