Solar Fields has registered with the Maine Public Utilities Commission as a developer of community solar farms in Maine
What is a community solar project?
It's for people and businesses that want to replace some of the electricity they consume in their home, apartment or business with power from the sun
Solar Fields hopes to construct a 2,000 kilowatt solar farm in Belgrade, Maine. That's enough power to provide solar electricity to 400 households. And no, you don't have to live in Belgrade. Any customer of Central Maine Power Company can participate
A 2,000 kW central photovoltaic power plant
It's less expensive than rooftop solar systems
You sign a power purchase agreement
Purchase a 0.15% share of the power produced at our solar power plant along with other households
Your solar energy is credited on your electric utility bill
Central Maine Power Company will credit your monthly bill with the amount of solar power you purchased
I've never heard of this before. Is it new?
Yes, it is. The Maine Legislature passed a bill in 2019 whereby consumers who purchase electricity from community solar projects can be credited for their purchases on their electric bill. The bill was signed into law by Governor Janet Mills and became effective in July 2019.
When will the Solar Fields project be built?
Solar Fields is working on its project proposal. It will be submitted by July1st and evaluated by Central Maine Power Company and the Maine Public Utilities Commission along with other community solar proposals. If the Solar Fields project is selected, the power plant will be completed in 2021.
Do you have an electric hot water heater?
If you have an electric hot water heater in your basement Solar Fields will send a local plumber to evaluate your domestic hot water system and determine if your existing electric water heater can be replaced with a heat pump water heater
Why are you replacing electric resistance water heaters with heat pump water heaters? What does that have to do with solar energy?
We want to stretch our solar energy to as many households as possible. The new water heater uses 60-70% less electricity than your existing one.
Joan Marks
Raymond Souza
Maggie Stalk
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Who is Solar Fields?
Solar Fields was incorporated in 2014 as a Maine limited liability company. Company President Steve Buchsbaum has been involved in the energy efficiency industry for many years and solar energy since 2013. Back in the last century (that is hard to say) he founded and ran EES, Inc., a company that developed millions of dollars of energy efficiency projects with commercial and industrial customers in Maine and throughout the Northeast.
Solar Fields is working to combine it's business development and financing resources with the experience of solar engineering and construction companies to build this community solar project