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Nancy and Nate Nickerson knew they wanted to invest in solar, but they also knew it wouldn’t work with their current home and future plans. The roof on their Portland home isn’t oriented correctly for solar panels, and they aren’t sure it’s their “forever home” anyway.
Fortunately, when you purchase a share in a member-owned Community Solar Farm (CSF), the solar generated is tied to your utility account, not your house. If the Nickersons do decide to move, their CSF shares will travel with them as long as they stay in the Central Maine Power utility territory.
The ease of owning a CSF share was another factor; they don’t need to worry about maintenance or keep track of required service.
“Our primary motivation was to change to a greener lifestyle and mitigate our personal carbon footprint,” Nancy explains. “We’re increasingly aware of the need to get ourselves off fossil fuels.”
The B Corp certification, reputation, and commitment to social justice initially drew the Nickersons to ReVision Energy, but Nancy says the communication around the various technologies and offerings has been invaluable. They initially purchased a 4.6 kW share in the Curravale Solar Farm, located in Knox, Maine. But when they switched to heat pumps and started driving an all-electric car, the Nickersons realized they’d need more solar energy to offset their bill; they purchased an additional 13 kW share on our Chase Solar Farm in Warren, Maine.
“The impact of burning oil and gas on the planet is just devastating,” Nancy says. “But now, we haven’t had an oil delivery in two years.” Their heat pumps work well in the winter, and they also appreciate them in the summer; they never previously had air conditioning, but the heat pumps’ cooling function has kept them much more comfortable year-round.
As more of our Solar Champions dive into whole-home electrification, we’re seeing stories like the Nickersons (and the Biehler/Stadtler family) more frequently. Many people electrify their homes in incremental steps, but ultimately, powering your heating, cooling, EV charging, and more with clean solar energy – either generated on your roof, at a community solar farm, or both – offers a strong return on investment and will save you money on your utility bills.
And as Nancy points out, it’s not an option for the future of the planet.
“Please do your part and go solar and do it soon. It’s about the next generation. It’s about reducing all our destructive dependence on fossil fuels, it’s about environmental justice. Our political climate isn’t great right now, so you have to do your part. This is a small step, but hopefully, we’re joining a growing community of people who realize this is one solution.”
Interested in owning your own share in a ReVision Energy Community Solar Farm? We currently have spaces available for Central Maine Power customers. Learn more and sign up here, or email hello@revisionenergy.com.