When you heard the term “off the grid” you probably think of someone living in the wilderness and surviving without civilization”™s amenities. But, there”™s a building in the heart of civilization in Stamford that now is virtually “off the grid” ”” at least the electric grid. The building is at 778 Long Ridge Road and it has been converted to a solar generating system that not only produces 100 percent of the electricity it needs but, on bright summer days, produces excess electrons to sell back to the electric company.
The system is capable of producing 93,000 watts of electricity from the sun. That”™s enough to light 930 100-watt bulbs or keep about 124 medium-capacity window air conditioners running at the same time. In this system, there are 285 individual solar panels occupying 5,300 square feet of roof space.
The building houses the Bright Horizons Early Learning Center, which provides child care and early education.
There was a dedication ceremony when the system was recently put into service. Attending were Stamford Mayor David Martin, the building”™s owners Don and Phyllis Gary, Walter Erikson and Tom McLemore from Ross Solar, a Con Edison Solutions company, David Elovecky and Christine Basso with CELCO Heating & Air Conditioning, which was the HVAC contractor for the project; representatives of Bright Horizons, and representatives of Greenworks Lending, which provides financing for commercial property owners doing energy improvements.
