Hello and welcome to the monthly Sterling Homes Solar Update! Here at Sterling Homes, we are committed to giving you the best experience you will ever have building a home not just now, but in the future. For that reason, back in September of 2016, we had a solar array installed on the roof of the office on Hinesburg road to create our own renewable energy. In this monthly blog, I will be giving a quick update on what is going on here with our panels, but also trying to demystify solar and offering interesting insight into the world of renewable energy.
First things first, however, is our own little slice of sunny(ish) paradise.
- June was, as expected, our most productive month!
- Even with the occasional *cough*frequent*cough* showers, we still out produced May by 70 kilowatt-hours. Although that doesn’t seem like much, that’s almost 2 and a half years of charging your phone!
- Although the warm weather and slightly more consistent sun in June helped push it past May, our most productive day remains May 20th, a full 1.3 kilowatt-hours ahead of the best day in June, which was the 14th.
- July is already shaping up to be a strong month, and we can’t wait to see what we can generate!
If you’re listening to what is happening with renewable energy around the country, great! If not, I’d love to bring to your attention some fairly big news coming to New England. Massachusetts has officially began the process of building an offshore wind farm. Utilities have asked developers to bid on a contract for Massachusetts’ first offshore wind farm! With Massachusetts lawmakers promising to become the state with the most wind energy, wind turbines are going to be installed off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. Wind is a notoriously divisive from of renewable energy, with people claiming they ruin scenic views, harm flying animals, and can be loud. Offshore wind solves many of those problems, placing the turbines away from the public eye, while harnessing “some of the best wind in the world.” WBUR Boston has a great article if you want to read more here. Not only will it be a huge reduction in long term fossil fuel dependence, but it will create hundreds if not thousands of jobs. This could be the start of a renewable energy revolution on the East Coast, and only has positive outlooks for Massachusetts’ people, economy, and environment.
We are very excited to share our solar story with you, so make sure to check back in next month for the latest edition of the Sterling Homes Solar Update! Show it to your family, your friends, or a neighbor, and try to stay mindful of your own impact in our evermore connected world.
