Habitat for Humanity home in Cape Porpoise outfitted with free solar panels

KENNEBUNKPORT — Maine Solar Solutions has partnered with Habitat for Humanity York County to provide solar panels for a home in Cape Porpoise, a community within Kennebunkport.

The new house was outfitted with more than a dozen solar panels. The panels and installation were donated by Maine Solar Solutions of Freeport. The Portside Rotary Club, The Climate Initiative, and donors Dave and Lynn Jourdan helped in making the project a reality.

“We are celebrating 10 years at Maine Solar Solutions, and we wanted to give back to the community in a big way,” said owner Sam Zuckerman. “This partnership will allow us to not only give back, but also to make a long-term difference with energy savings, energy independence, and clean energy. We are proud of this partnership and look forward to more installations with Habitat for Humanity throughout our service area.”

A ‘miracle’: Family gets new home thanks to Habitat for Humanity York County

This first collaboration with Habitat for Humanity was done in part to celebrate Maine Solar Solutions’ tenth anniversary. While residential solar projects vary in cost, the full donation is valued at more than $10,000. The success of this project is leading both organizations to discuss potential future projects and collaborations.

“The homeowners, Derek and Alicia, couldn’t be happier with the overall project, including the ability to have lower utility rates, and cleaner energy,” said Amy Nucci, executive director for Habitat for Humanity York County. “Our mission is to help provide decent, affordable homes to those who might need a little extra assistance making it happen. These are not handouts; they are a hand-up in an increasingly inaccessible homeownership market. Ultimately, we believe that everyone deserves a decent place to live. We are very thankful for the partnership with Maine Solar Solutions and are thrilled with the results on the first home.”

Dreams come true: Kennebunkport Heritage Housing Trust making homes 'attainable'

According to Habitat for Humanity, Derek has worked in the Kennebunkport area for more than 15 years after three tours in the Middle East. Being selected by Habitat for Humanity for the Cape Porpoise home has enabled the family to relocate to the area in which Derek works, and start establishing the community their family has been missing.

Maine Solar Solutions was founded in 2012 by Zuckerman and was originally based in his garage in Portland. After steady solar panel installations for homes and businesses, and steady word-of-mouth recommendations, Maine Solar Solutions moved to Durham, Maine. The business continued to grow, installing rooftop solar, ground-mounted solar, battery backups, electric car chargers, and off-grid systems. Today, Maine Solar Solutions is celebrating ten years in business with more than 40 employees at locations in Durham, Freeport and Brunswick.

Habitat for Humanity of York County was founded in 1988 by a group of individuals captivated by its vision and mission. For information on being considered for a Habitat for Humanity home, or more details about Habitat for Humanity of York County, visit www.habitatyorkcounty.org.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Habitat for Humanity home in Cape Porpoise gets free solar panels thanks to Maine Solar Solutions