The recent expansion of South Portland’s solar farm will provide the city with over 60% of their electricity needs.
With fossil fuel prices on the rise, cities across New England are continuing to make the switch to cheap, clean, renewable energy. For instance, recently, South Portland, Maine celebrated the completion of a large expansion to their existing solar infrastructure. Known as the “Landfill East” and “Landfill West” projects, this expansion added to the existing solar arrays on top of a covered landfill in the community. According to the city, the entire solar farm will now produce roughly 5.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity every year, enough to offset more than 60% of the city’s electricity usage. Vitally, the city says that this increased investment in clean energy will lower taxpayers’ electricity bills and save the area more money.
Solar at the local level
South Portland’s recent success in the solar industry is important for two reasons. First, it shows that the efficacy of solar power is not limited to stereotypically sunny places. For decades, critics have argued that solar power would never work in places like New England because of the climate. However, South Portland is continuing to prove that advances in technology have made solar a more than viable choice for New Englanders. Second, solar power is no longer just something that large companies or big cities can invest in. With a population of less than 30,000, South Portland is a far stretch from Boston or San Diego. And yet, this small city has found that sustained investments in solar can quickly pay off.
How to make solar work for you
This is especially good news for any individuals or families who are also looking to make the switch to solar. At Summit Solar, we specialize in helping everyone from homeowners to business owners save money by switching to solar power. Even without a covered landfill, you too can help the planet, save money, and make the switch.
Read more: https://wgme.com/news/local/south-portland-celebrates-completion-new-solar-farm-former-landfill