College of the Atlantic
IN-25: Innovation B

The College of the Atlantic Solar for Businesses and Farms (SBF) program is designed to provide 50 or more Hancock County businesses and agriculture producers with solar energy assessments and energy efficiency education. The program is staffed almost entirely by students, and since the summer of 2016 has provided dozens of students with the opportunity to perform real-world solar energy analysis, educate and interact with community members, landowners, and business people of various backgrounds, and gain expert-level understanding of funding mechanisms for alternative energy. Students collaborate on and contribute to outreach efforts, staffing workshops and events, and going door-to-door to offer these completely free analyses. The SBF program, supported by $125,000 in grant funding from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Renewable Energy Development Assistance program, provides clients with comprehensive, site-specific solar analyses, information and advice on how to select and work with installers, and in-depth information on funding mechanisms, return on investment, climate benefits, and maintenance. The program is managed by the COA Community Energy Center (CEC). The Center Program Manager coordinates with professors and others at COA to include as many students as possible in staffing the program. Since the program began in 2016, courses that the CEC has paired up with to execute the solar analyses include one taught by COA Director of Energy Education and Management Anna Demeo, with 10 students and 2 TAs, and three by physics and mathematics professor Dave Feldman, with a total of 40 students. A total of nine COA Summer Energy Fellows, under the direction of the CEC Program Manager, have played instrumental roles in the program. Several COA students working in the CEC through a financial aid workstudy program have also contributed to the program. The SBF program has immeasurable benefits for both Hancock County (where COA is located) residents and for COA students interested in sustainability and renewable energy. Several recipients of solar analyses have gone on to have photovoltaic systems installed. The program is encouraging a gradual shift toward renewable energy among the wider community around COA, while serving to educate students and provide them with direct, real-world, experience of the subject.