HIGHGATE, Vt. — When Vermont dairy farmer and Organic Valley farmer-member Guy Choiniere and his son Matt learned of a new program to bring solar energy to their family farm, they did not hesitate to pursue it. Now, the Choiniere Family Farm in Highgate, Vermont, has not only improved its resilience, but has also reduced its energy costs. For this fourth generation farm founded in 1945 by Guy’s grandparents, it’s a welcome development to create a more sustainable operation.
What made the solar projects at the Choiniere Family Farm possible is an innovative new program that SunCommon, an iSun company based in New York and Vermont, now offers to Organic Valley farmers to help them go solar with zero upfront costs. Organic Valley is the nation’s largest farmer-owned organic cooperative with a footprint of 100+ Vermont farms. SunCommon worked with its financing partners to make the new program a reality.
It provides Organic Valley farmer-members with financing for renewable energy projects, including solar. Farmers benefit from a fully-funded solar installation with no upfront costs. They then reap the rewards of their solar — offsetting almost all of their electricity usage and receiving credits on their utility bills. Over the course of a year this may amount to hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
“At SunCommon, we take great pride in helping businesses find the solar solutions that work for them,” said Mike McCarthy, commercial solar project consultant at SunCommon. “In this case, it was imperative that farms have no upfront costs, and that the projects would start saving them money from the first year. We have years of experience with financiers who share our values and with their support we were able to create this program for Organic Valley farmers that helps make the farms more sustainable, environmentally and financially.”
“Organic Valley is known for going above and beyond to support our farmer-members, and this is an example of yet another step in building the resilience of our farmer-members by offering an innovative ownership model for the installation of solar energy projects,” said Nicole Rakobitsch, Director of Sustainability at Organic Valley. “We’re excited to help family farmers in the Northeast to begin lowering their energy costs and improve the bottom line of their independently-owned farms.” Organic Valley has provided support for farmer-owned systems for more than 10 years.
The Choiniere family engaged SunCommon in two projects to place solar panels on existing buildings on its 500-acre property. Those projects will produce an estimated 115,500 kWh annually with a projected annual cost savings totaling more than $20,000.
“What I love is that this revives a barn that was losing value and that we were planning to retire,” said Guy Choiniere. “Now, with new solar panels on the roof, we have revitalized this space such that there is a new milking parlor on the inside producing value and energy production on top, also producing value. And, it was all so easy to do. SunCommon managed the entire process, including labor, materials, and all the nitty gritty details. We were able to carry on with our daily farm operations without a hitch.”
To date, SunCommon has worked with 75 farmers in Vermont and New York on solar energy projects.
Learn more at https://suncommon.com/organic-valley-farm-goes-solar-with-suncommon/
For Vermont farmers interested in solar energy projects, please contact Mike McCarthy at SunCommon at mike@suncommon.com to learn more. Or, sign up for a free site evaluation at https://suncommon.com/commercial-solar/ SunCommon provides commercial solar options and has helped more than 200 businesses across New York and Vermont go solar.
ABOUT SUNCOMMON
SunCommon, an iSun company, is a certified BCorp that believes everyone has the right to a healthy environment and brighter future — and renewable energy is where it starts. We are on a mission to make clean, renewable energy simple and affordable. We offer options through home solar, community solar, commercial solar, and battery storage. SunCommon has helped business owners in every sector, including manufacturing, retail, healthcare, agriculture, office and apartment buildings, hospitality and more, strengthen their bottom line with clean energy from the sun. Take the first step towards a brighter future with SunCommon. Visit www.suncommon.com
ABOUT ORGANIC VALLEY
Organic Valley is passionate about doing what’s right for people, animals, and earth and is committed to bringing ethically made organic food to families everywhere. Organic Valley is the largest farmer-owned organic cooperative in the U.S. and one of the world’s largest organic consumer brands. Founded in 1988 to sustain family farms through organic farming, the cooperative represents approximately 1,700 farmers in 34 U.S. states, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit ov.coop/impact. Organic Valley is also @OrganicValley on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
–SunCommon
Organic Valley