Champlain Valley Union High School Adds Off-Grid Solar to their Sustainability Program Greenhouse

Champlain Valley Union High School (CVU) has added a new element to its sustainability curriculum: An off-grid solar system to power its greenhouse.

The idea started as a project from students in the Nexus program before being handed off to Tom Mongeon, Director of Maintenance, and sustainability teacher, Dave Trevithick.

“It can run the honey centrifuge and power tools, keep the goat’s water unfrozen,” says Dave. And, of course, it keeps the lights on, helping the students raise vegetables that are served up in the CVU cafeteria. Last year they grew 450 pounds of produce!

The system is made 2200 Watts of LG solar panels, an Outback Power inverter and charge controller paired with KiloVault Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries

Green Mountain Solar only does a handful of off-grid projects every year, explains Ben McFeeters, Field Supervisor. “Off-grid is not usually a feasible solution for most homeowners, but this was a unique situation where off-grid made more sense than attempting to make a grid-tied system because the electrical load was relatively small and, to run power to the greenhouse would have required expensive trenching across the parking lot. Along with growing their own food, they can now produce all the power needed right on site!”

The system was funded by a donation by Phil Lassalle.

About Green Mountain Solar Green Mountain Solar is a local solar company based in South Burlington, Vermont. They install solar (roof-, ground-, and carport-mounted), battery backup systems, heat pumps, and EV chargers for residential and commercial customers across the state. They pride themselves in their educational, customer-first approach to solar and aim to deliver the best solar experience in Vermont.

To learn more about services offered by Green Mountain Solar, visit www.greenmtnsolar.com

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