Middlebury College solar farm hits a snag

MIDDLEBURY — A Burlington-based solar development company has worked for more than a year to gain approval for a large-scale solar array on farmland owned by Middlebury College, which would help the college achieve its goal to be 100% renewable by 2028.But after clearing every hurdle except one, Encore Renewable Energy could now be sent back to the drawing board.It’s a process that Encore representatives say makes it increasingly difficult for solar developers to build, and in turn complicates Vermont’s abi … (read more)

I’m involved in the Bristol Community Solar project, trying to enroll faith communities. Participation in BCS lets owners offset electric energy costs on their utility bills with net-metering credits. However, I am finding that faith communities are havin … (read more)

I found Burgess Needle’s letter in the April 8 edition of the Independent regarding snow covered solar panels to be of great interest. It is accurately descriptive of a very common problem in northern climates. Perhaps electric gutter heating wires, commo … (read more)

We have a modest array of solar panels on our sloped metal roof in Ripton, Vt. Since they were installed several years ago they have generated electrical power through much of the year without problems; however, during approximately 70+ days of the winter … (read more)

The March 25 issue of the Addison Independent contained an article headlined “Acorn Energy Co-op third community solar project in Bristol moving forward.” In the article, it said “…Acorn Energy Co-op received final approval of its documentation for the pu … (read more)

BRISTOL — Fundraising for a local community-owned solar project in Bristol under development by the Acorn Renewable Energy Co-op of Middlebury is moving forward. The proposed project, Acorn Energy Solar 3, now known as Bristol Community Solar (BCS), will … (read more)

BURLINGTON — University of Vermont Extension recently received a $68,438 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to work with farmers interested in trying “solar corridors” in their corn silage fields. The pr … (read more)

BRISTOL — The Acorn Energy Co-op and the town of Bristol have agreed on the terms for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a 500-kilowatt community solar array on the site of the former Bristol landfill. If built, the array would consist of 1,862 solar … (read more)

ADDISON COUNTY — Over the past two decades Americans have begun to embrace the idea that they can use solar energy to power their homes. The concept of capturing the energy from the sun and directing it not into some big government or commercial program, … (read more)

You’ve seen them on rooftops, in fields, along roadsides, and you’ll be seeing more of them: Solar photovoltaic (PV) installations are on the rise across the country — but how do they turn sunshine into energy? Simple answer: with semiconductors. Of cours … (read more)

On a rainy Saturday afternoon in December, a small group of do-it-yourselfers met at the Brandon Free Public Library. The group was convened by Michael Shank, chair of Brandon’s Energy Committee, and led by Tim Guiles, who walked us through his experience … (read more)

In a little noticed Department of Public Service review of the state’s current net-metering structure, the DPS recommends to the Public Utility Commission that the net-metering rate be reduced from the current 17-cents per kWh to 9.2 cents per kWh — cutti … (read more)

John Flowers recently reported on a 5MW solar farm and 2MW battery storage facility proposed by Middlebury College, Encore Renewable Energy and Green Mountain Power to be located on one of Middlebury’s most beloved recreational roads, South Street Extensi … (read more)

I was glad to read in the Dec. 3, 2018, issue of the Addison Independent about the testing being done to grow saffron amongst solar arrays. Many times I’ve seen people write or talk about solar arrays removing land from agricultural production. While that … (read more)