Sleeper Supermarket

Big change starts locally. Aaron and Alix Sleeper, owners of 183 Ossipee Trail, Limington, ME, have set out to prove it with the technical expertise of Maine Solar Solutions in cooperation with Greentech Renewables. The Sleeper’s property consists of a local neighborhood supermarket, an Ace Hardware location open every day of the year and a gas station. Via 182 solar panels installed on a flat roof, the owners will offset their electrical usage for the supermarket by 33% to get them started. Later in 2020, they intend to offset 100% of the hardware store’s electrical usage by installing ground-mounted panels.

To complete this initial electrical offset of 33% of the supermarket’s usage, Maine Solar Solutions assembled a 71.89 kW solar PV system, including 182 Q-Cell 395 solar panels with 91 SolarEdge P860 optimizers. The team installed this system on two existing roofs on the property using asphalt-specific attachment points with Ecofasten’s GreenFasten flashing and L-feet. Additionally, the array includes a Solaredge revenue-grade metering system and inverters with 24/7 data monitoring. Finally, the team connected 4 SolarEdge SE14.4K US inverters to an existing electric utility meter.

This supermarket is a staple of Limington, visited by both locals and tourists all year round. The PV system that the Sleepers have invested in serves as a signal to the local community about the potential for solar and future opportunities for investment in green energy. As a focal point for the community, this local supermarket sets an example and the pace for the larger area. When local businesses engage with solar opportunities, they provide visual confirmation of the growth of solar.

Additionally, they are encouraging more significant change by bringing the message of solar to areas where it may not be as prevalent or well-known as an established alternative energy method. With the help of Maine Solar Solutions and Greentech Renewables, the Sleepers were able to make this project come to life. They were able to take it a step further by setting a goal further to offset their electrical usage by year’s end, hastening the pace of green energy growth in the area.