Hotel has more than 400 new solar panels
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine —A group of business owners and clean energy experts gathered in South Portland on Monday to talk about the challenges facing solar power growth in Maine.
Maine is the only state in New England without specific policies to reduce costs and barriers for solar energy in homes and businesses.
A news conference at Days Inn in South Portland showed off the business’ new 415 solar panels on its roof.
“Since we installed the system in April, we have produced about 120-thousand kilowatts and that helped us dramatically in the overall cost reductions for our business,” said Suresh Galil owner of the South Portland Days Inn.
“A year from now, we hope we are celebrating not just a few individual projects that have been successful but a surge here in Maine that can match what’s going on across the region and across the country,” said Dylan Voorhees of the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
So far in 2014, solar power represents 36 percent of all new energy installations in the United States.
