Winstanley Solar Development (WSD) and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) announce an agreement to collaborate on the construction and operation of a 500 kilo-Watt solar power array on land owned by Winstanley Enterprises. The electricity generated by this array will serve the main BMH hospital building, and generate significant savings for BMH over the twenty-year term of the agreement.
This project is part of an initiative to bring solar power and utility savings to schools, municipalities and hospitals in the Windham and Windsor County region. WSD, a joint venture partnership between Winstanley Enterprises, LLC of Concord MA, Green Lantern Development, LLC of Waterbury VT and Powersmith Farm, Inc. of Guilford, VT, hopes to develop up to five 500kW net-metered solar arrays on individual lots in the North Springfield Industrial Park.
“BMH is proud to be participating with Winstanley and partners by obtaining a significant portion of the hospital’s power needs via this solar project,” said Robert Prohaska, Director of Plant Services. “This is another example of how BMH is working toward sustainability across our operations. We are always interested in opportunities that lower our carbon footprint, and being that the group involved in this project represents local interests; this dovetails perfectly with BMH’s mission to serve our community.”
“The Brattleboro Memorial Hospital array is very exciting for all involved. Virtual net-metered projects are great examples of environmental economic development,” says Adam Winstanley, Principal at Winstanley Enterprises. “These will create green jobs, increase local tax revenue, and generate annual utility savings with each array for the schools, municipalities and hospitals who participate as solar power purchase partners. The combination of utility savings, educational and social benefits and local job creation is very compelling. We believe that community-focused net-metered solar is the highest and best use for that land.”
“Municipalities, schools and institutional customers across Vermont have really liked our development and financing program,” says Luke Shullenberger of Green Lantern Capital. “It allows them to go solar and save money with no investment required, no exposure to the costs of operations or maintenance, and no liability risk associated with hosting solar on their own premises. As the clean energy sector grows in Vermont, there is a lot of opportunity for Windham and Windsor counties. Independent polls show that 86% of Vermonters support the state’s Comprehensive Energy Plan goals. Projects like this have a triple-bottom-line impact to our economy, environment and quality of life. And when we consider increasing concerns about responsible solar siting and orderly development of the region, we believe that the North Springfield Industrial Park is a perfect location.”
Winstanley Solar has already submitted a 45-day notice letter for the project, and anticipates filing an individual project application to the Vermont Public Service Board in the near future. The development team anticipates that the first project may be operational by early 2015.
For more information, visit the Winstanley Enterprises, LLC website at www.winent.com or contact BMH via www.bmhvt.org or 802-257-0341.
