If all goes according to plan, by mid-August Damariscotta Hardware will boast the second largest solar panel system in the State of Maine.
Installed on the store’s roof, the photovoltaic array will provide an estimated 70-75 percent of Damariscotta Hardware’s energy.
Damariscotta Hardware President Rob Gardiner’s said the installation of a solar panel system completes his plan to achieve energy independence for his company. Last year a gasification wood boiler was installed to reduce oil consumption.
Gardiner initially considered using wind power to meet his energy needs, but he ultimately chose to build a solar panel array after the cost and size of the project proved more suitable for his needs. Although Maine Energy Performance Solutions (MEPS) initially proposed a smaller solar panel system, Gardiner decided to go big.
“I said, if we’re going to do it, let’s cover all of it, “said Gardiner.
While the initial cost of the project totaled $347,000, incentives such as a 30 percent federal tax credit, accelerated depreciation, and a USDA REAP Grant will bring the cost of the installation down to $77,000.
“With all the incentives it’s crazy not to do it,” said Gardiner
Gardiner’s goal of energy independence is based on both a desire to improve the financial outlook of his company over the long term and to promote green technology in Maine. While the installation of the solar panels will be costly in the short run, Gardiner believes that the savings will ultimately help him pay for increasing healthcare costs.
MEPS partner Rich Simons said he believes that the savings will start immediately and eventually pay back Gardiner’s initial costs in just over seven years.
Gardiner hired MEPS to design and complete the solar panel project. MEPS has partnered with Thomaston boat building and fabrication company, Lyman-Morse, which has recently moved into the solar panel business. This is their first solar array system project.
“It’s going very well, “said Ron Defoe, of Lyman Morse, “We’re learning a lot.”
MEPS was found by three friends: Ray Montana, the Damariscotta Hardware project manager, Rich Simon and Steve Bower.
Simon first got into alternative energy after moving to Maine in 1976 and finding his deep woods home off the regular electric grid. To get his electricity, Simon built a solar panel.
“I’ve always been interested in alternative energies. It’s always cooler to make your own power,” said Simon.
Despite their diehard love of alternative energies, both Simon and Montana recognize that solar technology can’t proliferate without keeping costs low. This means government grants and tax credits. They also note the challenge in convincing banks to give credit for solar panel construction, especially since lending has tightened over the past few years.
“Part of our mission is to explain it to the banks and accountants,” said Simon, though he is quick to add that it’s not just about the money. “It’s about education too,” he said.
Spreading the word seems to be working: Rising Tide will soon be transitioning to solar energy, as will Master’s Machinery, who plan on installing a solar panel system four times the size of the one at Damariscotta Hardware.
“We have to prove that this can happen,” said Simon.
MEPS intends on completing Damariscotta Hardware’s solar system by mid-August.