Electricity began flowing this afternoon from National Life Group’s newly built solar energy project. The 500 kilowatt project is made up of more than 2,000 panels arrayed on about 4 acres just south of the company’s Montpelier headquarters. The electricity will feed into the regional power grid. Combined with a 73 kilowatt solar project built in 2008, National Life Group will generate more than 15 percent of its own electricity demand.
“This project makes great financial sense to us as a company,” said Mehran Assadi, president and CEO. “We’re also proud to say it makes great environmental sense and moves both our company and the city of Montpelier closer to our mutual goal of energy independence and sustainability.”
National Life Group General Counsel Gregory Woodworth, left, and President and CEO Mehran Assadi throw the switch to power the solar panels. Derek Moretz of Encore Development is behind them. Courtesy National Life.
The project complements the goals of Net Zero Montpelier, whose goal is to make the city of Montpelier the first “net zero” state capital in the country. That would mean that all of the energy consumed in Montpelier for electricity, thermal and transportation purposes would be produced or offset within the city.
The 10,000 megawatts per year that National Life Group’s two solar systems will produce represents about 3 percent of the 82,256 megawatts per year of power demand in the entire city of Montpelier.
Fact Sheet
- 500 kilowatt solar array
- 725,000 kilowatt hours of electricity
- 157 Northfield St., Montpelier
- Owned and operated by National Life Group
- Sits on 4.5 acres of 250-acre campus
- 2,090 stationary panels on 95 ground-mounted racks
- Began producing power Dec. 15, 2014
- A separate 70 kilowatt solar array on the building’s roof went into operation in 2008
- National Life Group’s annual electricity use is 10,000 megawatts
- Combined, the two solar projects will produce 1,500 megawatts per year, or about 15 percent of the campus’ power
- Montpelier’s total residential and commercial and industrial electricity use is 82,256 megawatts per year (2011 figure)
- National Life Group’s solar projects will produce 3 percent of that demand.
National Life Group was established with the chartering of National Life Insurance Co. on Nov. 13, 1848. The company occupies a 525,000-square-foot headquarters building on a 250-acre campus. Roughly 2,000 people work on the campus, including employees of National Life Group, the state, and others.
The company’s building is LEED certified, with a Silver Certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Existing Building, program. The heating plant is powered with renewable, locally sourced wood chips. Employees are encouraged to use alternative transportation and National Life Group subsidizes regular commuter bus service to its campus.
In addition to its Vermont operations, National Life Group employs close to 200 people in Addison, Texas, outside Dallas.
Source: National Life 12.15.2014. 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.