Sustainability goes with our mission at Camp Ketcha like healthy soil goes with our organic farm. Being outdoors provides a connection to the land, and helps grow an appreciation of nature that inspires people to get involved to conserve and preserve our Earth. While our environmental education programs inspire our campers to be stewards of the planet, we are taking direct action now to reduce our carbon footprint.
Since December of 2017 we have stepped up our sustainable practices by offsetting a portion of our electrical usage with solar panels. We worked with Portland, ME-based ReVision Energy to install a 13.5 kilowatt grid-tied solar electric system.
When the sun is shining, the 45 solar panels on the roof of our barn produce electricity that is either used in real-time by our camp, or fed back to the grid where it benefits our community (and earns us a credit). Each year, the system will generate roughly 15,840 kilowatt-hours (kWhs) of electricity, offsetting the equivalent of over 28,800 miles driven in a gas-powered car.
We raised funding for our solar array with the help of Re-Volv energy, a non-profit that helps other non-profits invest in renewable energy.
To see what our system is producing, both today and across its lifetime, click here.
Thank you, YOU DID IT! We raised our goal! Many thanks to our UNE Solar Ambassadors who raised over $34,000 to install solar panels
RE-volv lets people put solar on the places they care about, giving them a way to take direct action on climate change. They’re building a global community of clean energy supporters, creating a cultural shift for solar, and tangibly acting on climate change by reducing carbon emissions.
