Site work has begun and construction officially gets under waySept. 30on National Life Group’s 500 kilowatt solar power project, which will help move Montpelier toward its “net zero” goal.Mehran Assadi, National Life Group president and CEO, and Gov. Peter Shumlin will formally launch the projectSeptember 30 at 10:30 am at the site at 157 Northfield Street. In case of rain, the event will be held at National Life Group’s headquarters building, 1 National Life Drive.Once the new solar arrays go on line by the end of the year, more than 15 percent of the electricity demands of the company’s 525,000 square feet of buildings will be provided by solar. The company’s first solar arrays were installed on the main building’s roof in 2008.
“Our company is committed to our corporate values to Do good. Be good. Make good,” Assadi said. “But we’re also committed to the bottom line. And solar energy makes sense financially, environmentally and socially. We’re excited that our project will help move the city we’ve called home for 165 years closer to energy independence.”
The goal behind theNet Zero Montpelierproject is to make the city the first state capital in the country to eliminate or offset the use of all fossil fuels. “It’s a bold, audacious, collaborative effort to have Montpelier lead the way as the nation’s first state capital where all of our energy needs — electric, thermal, and transportation — are produced or offset by renewable energy sources,” according to the Energy Action Network, which is organizing the citywide effort.
In addition to its solar projects, National Life Group in recent years also installed a wood-chip heating system for its entire campus, and works aggressively to promote alternative transportation among the more than 700 employees in its Montpelier headquarters. The company’s home office in Montpelier is LEED certified, with a Silver Certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Existing Building, program.
WHAT:Construction of National Life Group’s 500 kilowatt solar energy project
WHO:National Life Group CEO Mehran Assadi, Gov. Peter Shumlin, representatives of Green Mountain Power, the city of Montpelier, and Net Zero Montpelier.
WHEN:Tuesday, Sept. 30, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE:155 Northfield St., Montpelier, at the southern end of the National Life Group campus.
The companies of National Life Group offer a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, and investments, and financial solutions in the form of estate, business succession and retirement planning strategies. They are a leading provider of 403(b)and 457(b) tax-deferred retirement plans,primarily in theK-12 school marketplace.
Source: National Life. Sept. 26, 2013