Meadow Ridge Residents Lead Charge for Solar
October 26, 2023
REDDING, CT — Meadow Ridge, a continuing-care retirement community in this town 10 miles southeast of Danbury, Connecticut, has signed an agreement with solar energy company Verogy to build a 732-kilowatt installation.
When it’s complete, the project will supply Meadow Ridge with more than 850,000 kilowatt hours — nearly 20 percent — of its annual electricity, for an estimated savings of $7.3 million in electricity costs over the life of the array. The solar energy produced will also offset 607.2 metric tons of carbon each year.
The idea of building a solar project at Meadow Ridge was first proposed by a group of residents who wanted to lower the community’s carbon footprint and make the most of its 136-acre hilltop setting.
“We’ve long had an interest in bringing solar to Meadow Ridge,” said resident Susan Auslander, who leads the resident solar committee. “We were waiting for the technology to advance so that we could strike the balance between the financial investment, cost savings, and the environmental benefits. Our solar committee wants to leave a cleaner, greener environment for our children and grandchildren.”
The project is made possible with a commercial property-assessed clean energy (CPACE) loan from the Connecticut Green Bank, zero-emission renewable energy credits (ZRECS) through Eversource, and investment tax credits.
“After a long and winding process, we are pleased to be moving forward with this important project at Meadow Ridge,” said COO Brett Mehlman in a press release. “Not only will the solar installation be self-supporting from a financial perspective, but it’s clearly the right thing to do for our environment by reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions produced by the burning of fossil fuels. We are very appreciative of the support (and urging) of our residents at Meadow Ridge, the guidance and planning provided by Verogy, the financing provided by the Connecticut Green Bank, and the support of Meadow Ridge’s ownership that all contributed to bringing this project to fruition.”
The project is expected to be completed by November, 2024, with plans to include a pair of arrays — one on top of two to-be-built carports and the other on the roof of Ridge Crest, Meadow Ridge’s sub-acute rehabilitation and skilled nursing center.
Meadow Ridge, developed by Senior Care Development, LLC and managed by Benchmark Senior Living, has been recognized for excellence by U.S. News and World Report. The community sits on 136 acres and offers 285 apartment homes of independent living, assisted living, and memory care. The campus also features Ridge Crest, its award-winning, sub-acute rehabilitation and skilled-nursing center.
