Posted September 24, 2014 at 06:34am by Rachel Brett
VERMONT SMOKE AND CURE NOW COOKING WITH SOLAR POWER
HINESBURG, VT – Vermont Smoke and Cure, maker of “damn fine” bacon, ham and award winning RealSticks, is teaming with AllEarth Renewables of Williston, Vt., to source local renewable solar to power the company’s electrical needs. Nearly half of Vermont Smoke and Cure’s electric demand is now being supplied by solar projects with future plans for solar to fulfill all of the meat plant’selectrical load.
A 156-killowattsolar orchardin Essex, Vt. and an 88-killowatt solar orchard in Marshfield, Vt. will produce approximately 366,000-kilowatt hours annuallyof emissions-free solar electricity for the Vermontcompany.Both projects utilize Vermont-made solar trackers.
“Utilizing local and sustainable resources whenever possible is a fundamental part of Vermont Smoke and Cure’s mission,” said Chris Bailey, CEO of Vermont Smoke and Cure. “Whether it’s local pork for our 5 Knives line, Vermont maple syrup or cider across our bacons and hams, offering meat processing as a service for small farmers, or local renewable energy to run our smokehouse and coolers, working with our community to consciously produce the best smoked meats is who we are.”
Several other Vermont business have recently teamed up with AllEarth Renewables to go solar and save money on their electric bills, including Woodchuck Hard Cider, Concept2, Small Dog Electronics, Jericho Settlers Farm, Stark Mountain Woodworking, American Flatbread, Green Mountain Power, Cold Hollow Cider and Morse Farm Sugarworks, among others.
AllEarth Renewables is the Vermont manufacturer of the AllSun Tracker, a dual-axis solar tracker that uses innovative GPS and wireless technology to follow the sun throughout the day, producing up to 45 percent more energy than a rooftop solar. The company has manufactured and installed more than 2,400 solar tracker systems used for residential and commercial installations.