By Will Byers, ReVision Energy

OceanView at Falmouth harnesses New England’s abundant solar resource to attract new residents, to reduce energy costs and carbon pollution, and to provide year-round comfort in their facilities. Since 2009, they have saved more than $170,000, and eliminated over 1.4 million pounds of carbon pollution by incorporating solar into the retirement community.

“Seniors are very warm and welcoming to clean energy technology,” remarked Chris Wasileski, director of development at OceanView. “These days no one blinks an eye at seeing panels on the roof – in fact they’re really happy to have the energy savings. Folks are amazed at how these solar-powered homes perform, and how simple it is to save energy.”

The recently-completed Schoolhouse Cottages neighborhood is made up of 48 homes that each have 10 solar panels – in all there are 615 solar panels at OceanView, and 105 solar hot water collectors that have collectively created nearly 6 billion BTUs of heat since their installation.

Long-Term Collaboration for Smart Growth

OceanView has partnered with ReVision Energy on over 60 solar projects, including solar electricity, solar hot water, solar pool heating, hyper-efficient heating/cooling equipment, and electric vehicle charging stations. Chris Wasileski noted that solar is instrumental to their vision of a retirement community that provides outdoor recreation opportunities, environmental sustainability and all the comforts of modern living.

“The partnership with ReVision has really worked hand-in-hand with our growth – we try to incorporate solar energy into every single unit or building that we build. It’s a line item that we have on every project,” said Chris. By pairing solar power with advanced building techniques and materials, the living spaces in OceanView are comfortable, efficient and enjoy much lower energy costs.

The solar return on investment has added up for Chris and his father John, who have nearly reached the milestone of installing a megawatt of rooftop solar power across OceanView at Falmouth and their other retirement communities. Solar is more than just a force for their business though, it’s also a win-win for OceanView residents and the natural environment.