A Partnership of Lakes Region Conservation Trust Partners with NH Solar Shares

The field of trunk sprouts will be the next site for a NH Solar Shares community solar project. Space has been donated by the Lakes Region Conservation Trust located on Route 25B in Center Harbor (Peter Adams, EVP Marketing and Media, Campton, NH)

Sandra Jones

Lakes Region Conservation Trust (LRCT) has announced their plans to partner with NH Solar Shares to bring a small community solar PV project to New Hampshire’s Center Harbor region that will provide solar bill credits to families in need of assistance with their electric bill. LRCT will host the project in the field behind their office on Route 25B in Centre Harbor. It will consist of approximately 120 panels totaling a 40kW ground mounted solar array.

NH Solar Shares, a program of the Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative (PAREI), set out with the mission to “Share the Sun with Neighbors” back in 2018 when they built their inaugural project on donated space in front of the Common Man Inn in Plymouth. Their second project is located in Warren, NH on donated roof space at the Appleknockers General Store.

“We are delighted to partner with LRCT to build our third project,” said Caryn Shield the NH Solar Shares Program Coordinator. “This project will produce enough solar to benefit 12 families (that rotate every two years) from the towns of Center Harbor, Moultonborough, Holderness or Sandwich.” In order to participate, families or individuals need an electricity account with the NH Electric Cooperative and be interested in learning about solar energy and home energy savings. Funds to build the arrays are raised through in-kind services, sponsorships, grants and charitable donations. NH Electric Cooperative is an on-going partner with NH Solar Shares.

“We are excited to partner with Solar Shares to bring more clean energy on to the grid that will benefit local families. And we are fully behind the project goal to design an environmentally-friendly solar field with minimal impact during the construction phase where the habitat is improved with pollinator plants and low blueberry bushes,” said LRCT President Don Berry.

“NH Solar Shares volunteers are teaming up with volunteers from LRCT, the Center Harbor Energy Committee and Conservation Commission and New England Commercial Solar Services to develop a model project that integrates solar energy into the landscape that compliments the land use needs for this particular location,” said Sandra Jones, PAREI Director. “If this project sounds of interest to anyone in the community, I hope they’ll get in touch with us.”

If you are interested in volunteering on the project’s committee, applying to become a participant or would like to make a donation to fund the NH Solar Shares – Center Harbor solar array, please visit nhsolarshares.org, email volunteer@plymouthenergy.org or call the PAREI office at 603-536-5030. NH Solar Shares is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative, a 501C-3 not-for-profit membership organization.

Sandra Jones is the Director of the Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative (PAREI). She can be contacted at sandra@plymouthenergy.org.

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