Historic buildings to harvest solar

By SANDY LONG

HONESDALE, PA — Before year’s end, two historic Honesdale structures will bear 41 new photovoltaic panels, bringing the 1845 buildings’ heating system into the modern age.

A $15,000 grant from the Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF), through its Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant Program, was awarded to the Honesdale business to aid its conversion from coal to solar. Earlier this year, the buildings, located at 1019 and 1023 Main Street, underwent considerable renovations to create a collection of shops known as Maude Alley.

Paul Ludick, who owns the buildings along with Bill Anton, said they learned about the grant program through the local organization Sustainable Energy Education and Development Support (SEEDS). They applied for the grant and recently learned that Maude Alley was selected as the only Honesdale recipient.

Martin Young of Gravity Sun Power, based in Honesdale, will perform the installation before December 30. Young took advantage of a SEEDS-sponsored course on solar installation and went on for further training to become a state-certified solar installer.

The grant program, which awards up to $20,000 for expenses associated with the installation of sustainable energy projects, including energy efficiency improvements or generation of electricity from renewable resources, awarded a total of $96,000. Partial funding for the grant program was obtained from PPL Electric Utilities.

“I like the idea of a 19th-century building being brought into the 21st century creating a near zero carbon footprint,” said Ludick, who also took advantage of state and federal rebate programs to bring costs to within $6,000 of the project’s $61,000 total. “It’s an awesome opportunity,” he added.

“These awards demonstrate SEF’s commitment to a sustainable energy future as they balance the need for affordable reliable energy without negatively impacting the environment,” said Jennifer Hopkins, president of SEF. “Almost half of the projects include capturing free energy from the sun. I can think of no better way to beat rapidly escalating utility costs than to harness free energy already falling on your business.”

SEF is a non-profit organization that promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy and education initiatives in Pennsylvania. SEF may also finance certain projects in the eastern PJM grid territory, which includes New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. SEF works with municipalities, school districts, non-profits, farmers, manufacturing facilities, warehouses and transportation companies to save energy and reduce costs by offering financial incentives that promote sound energy strategies.

For more information on SEF, visit www.thesef.org or contact business development specialist Chris Flynn at 610/264-4440, ext. 16. To speak to Ludick about the project, call 570/642-1219. Young can be reached at 570/243-1786. Visit www.seedsgroup.net to learn more about SEEDS.