Solar Spotlight: 50kW at Breeden's Orchard
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Andrew and Brian Dorfman, along with their wives, Aimee and Wendy, might be best known for their ownership of 9 comedy clubs across the country, including the legendary Zanies in Nashville. Now, they are also the proud new owners of Breeden’s Orchard in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Tommy and Marynell Breeden operated their orchard for 45 years and sold the property to the Dorfmans last year. While there is an obvious connection between comedy clubs and orchards (duh!), Andrew explains their new venture as an expansion of who they are when they are not in the clubs.
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“We’ve always been outdoorsy people with gardens, chickens, and tractors,” says Dorfman. “But our goal with Breeden’s Orchard goes beyond apples (and peaches, pears, plums, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, bees and cattle) to our desire to build up the community and educate kids on how to be good stewards of the Earth,” he says.
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The Dorfmans knew they wanted to generate solar energy at Breeden’s Orchard, just like Aimee and Andrew do at their home. At Breeden's, LightWave Solar maxed out the farm store rooftop with 144 solar panels, and the 50kW system covers over 100% of the current electric use. They expect to use more electricity as they expand cultivation and hold special events, such as weddings, as well as community and school events.
“We see our property as a place to host kids from all walks of life, both for those who have never seen fruit grow on a tree and for those who want to hone their agriculture skills,” says Dorfman.
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Solar education will be incorporated to highlight its positive impact. Out on the farm store patio, near the solar inverters (pictured above), visitors will learn fun facts about the system. For example, over the next 25 years, the system will reduce carbon dioxide emissions equal to planting about 955 acres of trees!
“If you’re a business person, and you forget all the altruistic benefits, solar energy is a good investment,” Andrew says. “Once this system pays itself off in about 8 years, we will have decades of free electricity from the sun,” he says.
Though the farm store has closed for the season, the orchard will host community events throughout the winter. To follow Breeden’s Orchard’s latest happenings and plantings (including an apple tree that grows 5 different varieties of apples!), like them on
Facebook.
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Meet our new partner in Arkansas, Seal Energy Solutions
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This summer LightWave Solar began a partnership with Arkansas solar provider, Seal Energy Solutions, specifically to deliver large solar projects in Arkansas. Together our companies bring two key components to the table for commercial and municipal clients – a portfolio of large, diverse solar projects and roots that run deep in the Natural State.
LightWave Solar's portfolio includes many 1-2MW systems and several 3-5MW systems, mostly in Tennessee and Mississippi. In Arkansas, Seal Energy Solutions’ commitment to taking a holistic approach with every project has led to a diverse portfolio of solar projects across residential, agricultural, and commercial sectors. Last month Seal Energy Solution
s won the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association's Business Innovation Award, and Josh Davenport, its CEO, won the Rising Star Award.
“Seal Energy Solutions and LightWave Solar have a lot in common in that each company has an excellent reputation for putting quality work and customer service first,” says Davenport. “LightWave adds a depth of experience for large scale projects, and Seal Energy Solutions has a recognized commitment to quality and deep Arkansas ties going back more than six generations,” Davenport says. “We’re combining the best of both worlds,” he adds.
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Seal Energy Solutions Chief Executive Officer, Josh Davenport, is pictured above on the left, and its Co-Founder & President, Heather Nelson is on the right.
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Seal Energy Solutions has been installing solar since 2015, originally focused on residential as a compliment to their energy efficiency and HVAC business lines. In late 2016 they expanded into agricultural and commercial solar projects across Arkansas. With Arkansas’s net metering policy for commercial projects still in place, Seal Energy Solutions and LightWave Solar are positioned to meet the growing demand for larger solar systems for farms, businesses and municipalities across Arkansas. Additionally, their teaming gives clients confidence that there will be local support over the life of their project.
“We are leveraging our collective strengths to provide the best overall customer value to Arkansans,” says Chris Koczaja, President of LightWave Solar. “Our firms believe that together we can move the solar industry in Arkansas forward,” Koczaja says.
Both companies are licensed Arkansas contractors, and employ certificate holders from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).
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TenneSEIA's 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award
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At the Tennessee Valley Solar Conference this week, the Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association (TenneSEIA) presented their 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award to Gil Hough.
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Gil Hough holds his award and stands with fellow TenneSEIA board members, including LightWave President, Chris Koczaja, and LightWave Founder, Steve Johnson.
Since the early 2000's, Gil Hough has been a leader and advocate for increasing responsible solar energy deployment in the TVA region across all solar markets, from residential and commercial, to utility-scale. Through his work at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Restoration Services, Inc., and TenneSEIA, he has advanced solar energy across the Valley.
Gil co-founded TenneSEIA in 2010 and has led or worked on various stakeholder groups, including the TVA IRP planning committees. Gil is now Executive Director of TenneSEIA, as well as Renewable Energy Manager at RSI EnTech.
We applaud Gil for his tenacious commitment to solar in Tennessee!
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Where we've been installing...
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5kW solar + battery storage in Nashville, TN
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8kW at residence in Franklin, TN
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786 solar installations and counting...
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