Solar Power!
More reasons to celebrate the sun!
With the summer solstice having just arrived this Wednesday, there’s a lot to celebrate about the sun here at Halcyon Yarn! We’ve been operating from the same building in Bath, Maine, for over 35 years, and the building itself is a wood-frame warehouse, over 110 years old… so not exactly built at a time when energy efficiency was a priority! We’re proud that this old building is now over 50% solar powered from our own rooftop solar array.
Thanks to ReVision Energy of Portland, Maine, we have adapted the building to a grid-tied solar system. Using that solar electricity, and with the help of Maine Energy Performance Systems, of Washington, Maine, we’ve added six heat pump units that heat and cool most of the building now. As a result, we’ve been able to remove several propane based heaters too. The electricity in our offices, classrooms, and part of our retail and fulfillment spaces, is now generated by the sun. We plan to continue this conversion by adding additional photovoltaic panels and heat pumps in the future.
You can see the solar panels when you drive by Halcyon Yarn on Route One – why not stop by!
Below is a view of our solar input on the Solstice this week – not bad! We had a few passing clouds, and the system still diverted 35kg of CO2 emissions in just one partly sunny day. Our system is estimated to prevent the release of almost 16 tons of CO2 per year. It’s a small step, but every bit helps!
We care very much about our impact on the environment, and the communities we’re a part of. At Halcyon Yarn we’re proud of what we’re doing, and more importantly we’re asking ourselves how we can do more to be a socially and environmentally responsible company.
Shipping can be one of the most energy and materials intensive parts of a business. You’ll notice that when your packages arrive from us via UPS, we’ve chosen to have a carbon offset applied.
Another step we’ve taken this spring is working with Ecoenclose to start replacing our mailing envelopes and point of sale materials with more sustainable options. When you receive smaller packages from us they’ll now come in reclosable and recyclable mailing bags. They’re made of post-consumer recycled plastic, they weigh less, and require less additional packing materials. In-store plastic is being replaced with post-consumer recycled paper and we’re streamlining our recycling to make sure even less materials end up in landfills.
This summer we’re also a sponsor for the Annual Chili Chowder Festival in Bath by helping cover the event cost of Garbage to Garden, a local composting and waste diversion company. They’ve recently added Bath, Maine to their territory, so we’ll be adding their curbside compost pick up later this year too!
We want you to feel good shopping with us, knowing that you’re helping support a small business that works hard to do the right thing – and will continue to make improvements that matter. As we make improvements, we’ll continue to share them with you here. We welcome your ideas, and your help as we work to make a positive impact!
