With output from new solar farm in Waldoboro, Bigelow Lab gets greener

Courtesy / Kevin Corbit, SunRaise Investments A new solar array generates power on 10 acres of previously unused farmland in Waldoboro. Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is one of the array's largest users.

Write a Comment

By Staff

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, in East Boothbay, is now drawing more than 90% of its electrical power from renewable energy, thanks to the new construction of a solar farm in Waldoboro.

Bigelow Laboratory is one of the largest users of the farm, according to a news release Thursday.

The 10-acre solar array is owned by SunRaise Investments, a Portsmouth, N.H., solar energy developer, owner and operator. The array went online in July.

It produces over three megawatts of electricity, enough to power 700 homes. The laboratory is using about 30% of the output.

That amount meets 85% of the lab's electrical needs, and allows the lab to save $30,000 in energy costs, according to the release.

“We could have expanded the existing solar array on our property, but we would have to cut down trees,” Laboratory Manager Tim Pinkham said. "Instead, we’re utilizing unused farmland, so it was a much greener install. And the fact that it's a local facility that’s providing power into the grid is a benefit to the region.”

Deborah Bronk, Bigelow’s president and CEO, said the farm allows the lab to continue reducing its carbon footprint.

The solar farm is partly a result of the Maine Net Energy Billing Program, which allows commercial and residential users to purchase energy credits from community sources. This effectively allows clients to utilize renewable energy without having to construct solar generators on their property.

“Now you can generate solar energy where it makes most sense,” said Joe Harrison, SunRaise Investments’ director of project development. “That's an incredibly important change in policy.”

Harrison said solar development sites can create an alternative revenue stream for farmers while minimizing impact on the land and promoting tax benefits.

The green initiative is one of several by Bigelow Laboratory. The nonprofit, independent research institute added a 244-panel solar array to its campus in 2017. Electric-vehicle charging stations were made available this spring and are now 100% solar-powered.