Green Mountain Power Service Center Goes Solar with groSolar

Westminster, VT - In a partnership between two Vermont companies that know a thing or two about electricity, Green Mountain Power (GMP) and groSolar have teamed up to construct one of the state's largest solar power systems.
groSolar recently completed construction of a 58-kilowatt solar power system at GMP's Westminster, VT service center. The 300 ground-mounted photovoltaic panels will provide electricity to a facility whose 2008 "green" remodeling already made it among the most environmentally friendly structures in all of Vermont. The installation is designed to supply two-thirds of the annual electricity consumption of the building. The building includes many energy efficient features such as lighting control timers and occupancy sensors, low flow water fixtures, Energy Star windows, and a specially designed heat reflecting roof.
"From the beginning of the Westminster remodeling project we really wanted the facility to be an expression of our commitment to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources," said Mary Powell, president and chief executive officer of Green Mountain Power. "By partnering with groSolar and utilizing their expertise in solar power, we were able to dramatically reduce the facility's impact on the environment even further."
The Westminster project, tied for the second-largest solar power system in the state, is not the first time the two companies have worked together on a solar installation. Last November groSolar installed a four-kilowatt solar power system at GMP's Colchester headquarters. The system is used to power a two-car Toyota Prius fleet that GMP converted into plug-in hybrids.
"Both of the projects that we've worked on for GMP have been particularly enjoyable for us because they each show the scalability of solar energy," said Jeff Wolfe, CEO of groSolar. "The Westminster project shows how companies can use solar power to meet their power needs on a commercial scale, while the Colchester project demonstrates how the same technology can be used to power a couple of cars that would be right at home in any average person's driveway."