First Round of Installations Begin for Boothbay Pilot Project

Portland, ME, June 21, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Goggin Energy has installed a 108 panel, 27 kW solar electricity system at the Flagship Inn in Boothbay Harbor, just in time for summer and the tourists who will soon be filling up their rooms.

This is one of the first installations of the GridSolar Boothbay Pilot Project, an initiative to decrease the load on Central Maine Power’s electric grid in the Boothbay Region during peak summer months by developing distributed generation energy sources. Flagship Inn received a substantial subsidy for this project through the Boothbay Pilot Project, in addition to a federal tax credit and state rebate currently available to all qualified Maine property owners. With the combined incentives, the cost of this system will be paid off in just over 5 years.

Currently, the Boothbay Region is served by a single transmission line, which is close to exceeding its capacity on the hottest days of summer when temperatures rise above 90°. CMP has indicated that it will cost approximately $18 million to upgrade this line – a cost that is hard to justify for just a few hours during peak summer days. The success of the Boothbay Pilot Project will result in a net load reduction in the Boothbay region, eliminating the need to spend $18 million rebuilding the line.

A second round of proposals for the Boothbay Pilot Project are now being accepted; the deadline is July 31, 2013. The program is for both homeowners and business owners who can reduce their electricity consumption during the peak hours of the summer through installation of solar electricity, solar hot water, or energy efficiency measures. Interested property owners on the Boothbay Peninsula submit bids through third party contractors, including Goggin Energy, who will complete all project paperwork in addition to designing and installing the system, and giving the property a financial analysis of the estimated return on their investment.

Goggin Energy is a solar energy company based in Portland, currently servicing Maine and New Hampshire. The company is committed to helping New England homeowners and business owners reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Goggin Energy project managers can be contacted at (207) 772-7557 or through www.gogginenergy.com.