Bakers Island Lighthouse Shines Bright, Thanks to a Green Mountain Energy Sun Club Sustainability Grant
$45,000 grant provided off-grid solar and battery storage to power 200-year-old, historical lighthouse
SALEM, Mass. June 27, 2024 /3BL/ - The historic Bakers Island Light Station at the entrance of Salem Sound currently runs on 100 percent renewable energy, thanks to a $45,000 sustainability grant from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. The grant, which was provided to Essex Heritage in 2020, funded the installation of an off-grid 1.83-kilowatt solar array and battery storage system on the island to generate and store electricity for the lighthouse and two 19th-century keepers’ houses.
Sun Club® and Essex Heritage virtually celebrated the project completion in August 2020, and the impact since has been impressive. The Light Station, located several miles offshore, previously operated completely off the grid with reliance on gas-powered generators. The new solar and battery system provides enough renewable energy for 110-volt lights, electric appliances, and power tools to keep the lighthouse and two houses powered year-round.
The Bakers Island project is one of the 165 projects to receive a sustainability grant from Sun Club®. This Green Mountain Energy charitable program collaborates with nonprofit organizations on projects that focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship. Since its founding in 2002, Sun Club® has donated more than $14 million to projects that have helped nonprofits avoid 8,500 gallons of fuel, capture 20 million gallons of rainwater, grow 369,000 pounds of produce, and generate 25 million kWh of solar electricity in communities across the nation.
“We were honored to collaborate with Essex Heritage and fund the installation of their solar panel system and battery storage for Bakers Island Light Station,” said Johnny Richardson, program manager for Green Mountain Energy Sun Club®. “Our grants are made possible thanks to a one-of-a-kind model that links communities and Green Mountain Energy together to support sustainability solutions with renewable energy at the heart of the program.”
Essex Heritage became involved in the Bakers Island Light Station more than 15 years ago and took over stewardship of the station in 2014 when the deed was transferred from the U.S. Coast Guard to Essex Heritage. Since then, the lighthouse has been restored, the property is maintained, and the public has access to visit the light station.
“The $45,000 Sun Club grant we received has made an incredible difference in our ability to repair and maintain this historic light station with clean solar power energy,” said Annie C. Harris, chief executive officer for Essex Heritage. “It has not only enabled us to make the property much more comfortable for our visitors, but our volunteer keepers, who live at the lighthouse all summer, can make run power tools and read by lamp light at night. Best of all they have refrigeration and a washing machine, so they don’t need to return to the mainland every few days for food and laundry.”
To learn more about the project, visit greenmountainenergy.com. For more information about Essex Heritage’s efforts to promote experiences in the Essex National Heritage Area, visit essexheritage.org.
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About Green Mountain Energy Sun Club
Green Mountain Energy is inspiring hope, motivating action through the use of clean energy, and advancing sustainable communities through the work of Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. Since its founding in 2002, Sun Club® has donated more than $14 million for 164 projects across Texas and the Northeast. Sun Club collaborates with nonprofit organizations on projects that focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship. To learn more about Green Mountain Energy and Sun Club or to apply for a Sun Club grant, visit greenmountain.com/sunclub.
About Essex Heritage and the Essex National Heritage Area
Essex Heritage is the non-profit organization that manages the Essex National Heritage Area by developing programs that enhance, preserve and encourage recreation, education, conservation and interpretation projects on Boston's North Shore and the Lower Merrimack River Valley. The Essex National Heritage Area is comprised of the 34 cities and towns of Essex County, MA. For more information, visit www.EssexHeritage.org or call (978) 740-0444.
Green Mountain Energy Media Contact
Jeanie Davey
713-537-5735
media@greenmountain.com
Twitter: @GreenMtnEnergy
Essex Heritage Media Contact
Cheri Grishin
cherig@essexheritage.org
(O) 978-740-0444
