CSA Farmer Controls Costs With Solar
- Project
- Dickerson, MD
System Size: 10.35 kW (30 solar panels)
Installation Type: Roof Mount
Installation Date: Spring 2020
Location: Dickerson, MD
Annual Environmental Offset: 9.7 tons of CO2 and 20.5 barrels of oil
Located a few miles east of the Potomac River in Dickerson, MD, One Acre Farm grows and sells vegetables using the Community Supported Agriculture model (CSA). With a harvesting schedule running from June to November, keeping the CSA growing requires a lot of energy. “Energy consumption plays a huge role in food production” stated Michael Protas, the owner of One Acre Farm. “I think it’s important for folks who visit the farm to know about all aspects of what goes into growing food - energy-wise and economically.”
Now with the newly energized 30-panel (10.3 kW) solar system financed by the CSA members, the farm is maximizing its most valuable resource - The Sun, to offset the energy needed to keep the farm running and to reduce costs to help the farm continue to be economically sustainable. “Our primary goal as a farm is to make a profit and pay the people that work it a fair and livable wage” added Mr. Protas. Reducing costs with solar goes a long way to support that goal, but Mr. Protas also added that it’s important for the public to understand the true cost of growing food. Having the solar panels visible at the farm is a good showcase of this for everyone that visits the farm.
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