On the gloriously sunny first day of December, a ribbon-cutting was held to celebrate Bissell Brothers' new 100 kW solar array. The 305 panels on the roof of the Thompson's Point brewery in Portland are expected to produce over 94,400 kilowatt-hours of clean renewable energy every year, offsetting almost 160,000 pounds of carbon annually. That's equivalent to planting 1,100 trees, or removing 16 cars from the road.
Thanks to News Center Maine for featuring it on the 6 o'clock news:
"[This is a] fantastic step for us," said co-founder Peter Bissell at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. "It's been on our minds for some time . . . We really wanted to be much more proactive on our stance on the environment. This is obviously a tremendous step in that direction, and we look forward to working with ReVision in the future on EV needs as they become available and more solar applications."
Bissell Brothers has been invested in sustainability for a while, through their work with Sebago Clean Waters and the Maine Brewshed Alliance which aim to keep Maine's waterways healthy and safe. Through their community partnerships, they've also contributed to Maine environmental non-profits including Portland Trails , Maine Farmland Trust , and Friends of Baxter State Park .
"Discovering and acting upon ways to be more environmentally conscious will always be part of who we are and how we operate here at Bissell Brothers," said Hester Bissell, Director of Employee Wellness, "Our recent 305 solar panel installation allows us to generate electricity for the entirety of our Portland brewery and warehouse using the one thing we all need: sun. Environmental stewardship takes shape in many forms - small, thoughtful actions and larger long-term focused goals - we are thrilled to continue checking off both."
Ribbon cutting on 12/01/21 at Bissell Brothers
Peter Bissell and Phil Coupe
