Whole Earth Grocery Greens Its Roof

Solar Panel Installation

Property owner James Freeman wanted to help the Whole Earth Grocery become more sustainable with the energy consumed within their building on Main Street. The successful effort was completed in October 2009 with the installation of an 18 panel solar electric array mounted on the roof of the facility.

The installation will produce about 5,200 kilowatt-hours of energy per year. This energy is then purchased by WPPI Energy at an increased rate, improving the economics of the project. The “buy-back rate” is a limited participation program designed to stimulate the solar PV market in the community and advance small scale projects for a few early adopters.

Whole Earth Grocery.jpg

System Design

The system was designed by Energy Concepts in Hudson and was installed by Steiner Plumbing and Electric. The project also was eligible for rebates through Focus on Energy and a federal tax credit. Focus on Energy incentives and tax credits are available to all businesses and homeowners, helping installations move forward throughout the community.