About Washington County Mental Health
Washington County Mental Health Services (WCMHS) is a comprehensive community mental health center providing mental health and developmental services throughout the Washington County community. Over 8,000 individuals are served annually by this private, nonprofit organization with main offices in South Barre, Vermont. In 2018, WCMHS was recognized as a Center of Excellence by Vermont Care Partners, a statewide advocacy and practice improvement organization. WCMHS is a major employer in central Vermont, with over 800 full and part-time staff.
Project Summary
WCMHS recently added a solar photovoltaic system from Norwich Solar to the roof of their Administrative headquarters in Barre and plans to use the savings on electricity costs to broaden their services to the community.
WCMHS, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit Community Mental Health Center, will see solar power from their rooftop array and two others offset 100% of their electricity usage, allowing them to translate those savings into services.
WCMHS entered into what is known as a Net Metering Agreement (NMA) with Norwich Solar, allowing them to reap the “Triple Bottom Line” of Financial Performance, Social Impact, and Environmental Responsibility without the capital expense of purchasing their own solar array. The NMA affords them a known predictable rate for the next 25 years starting below the current utility rates and increasing at less than half the rate of average electrical increases. This means their savings continue to increase over time.
Norwich Solar Scope
We handled all details of the project for WCMHS on the project from start to finish, including the permitting, construction and, ultimately, maintenance. It was so rewarding to support WCMHS in reducing their energy costs while helping the environment.
Production Statistics
Besides cutting energy costs, WCMHS’s solar array will offset nearly 12 million pounds of CO2, the equivalent of 20 million miles not driven or 130,000 trees planted.
