LiveWell taps into sun power
BALLSTON SPA — As a part of furthering LiveWell Group’s mission toward a more sustainable future, they have announced their new 5-megawatt solar power community farm, operated by LiveWell Energy. The community solar program is one of the numerous solar farms across New York State responding to the thriving need and desire in communities for more accessibility to clean energy.
“New York State has a well-established and robust community solar program,” noted Morgan Ruthman, President and CEO of LiveWell Group.
The program is scaled to support the electrical demand across LiveWell Group’s multifamily and commercial real estate portfolio. Subscribers to the community solar project— who must be members in the National Grid territory— are granted an allocation of credits on their accounts for their electric consumption that is proportional to the size of their account.
Community solar also allows multiple households to share the benefits of a solar farm, providing access to clean energy without directly needing to install panels on their own property.
“Think of folks that live in homes with slate roofs or renters who rent their apartments and don’t have permission to install solar panels on their rooftop,” said Ruthman. “In that situation, community solar is that opportunity or alternative for them to be able to access renewable energy through New York State.”
Subscribing also allows users to save up to 10% off their electricity bills, consistent with their allocation of the system’s energy production. “I think a combined benefit, environmental and economic, creates a more compelling case for subscription to these types of projects,” he added.
It’s going to help reduce our carbon footprint. We figured that was a positive step forward. It helps save money, and helping our residents save money is always good.
— Morgan Ruthman,
LiveWell Group’s CEO
LiveWell Group is a family-owned real estate company that specializes in the development, construction, and management of rental communities and commercial office space in the Capital Region, including local residential communities such as The Spinney at Van Dyke.
After purchasing the land in Ballston Spa with the intention of making it a senior living community, they pivoted when the town determined that it was not interested in pursuing LiveWell’s plans for senior housing.
The company considered other development scenarios for the land. As community solar within the state of New York was beginning to take shape in 2020, they moved toward this concept, making inroads with the town and utility company. Making the solar farm a reality also tied into their overall goal of achieving operational carbon neutrality.
“It’s going to help reduce our carbon footprint,” said Ruthman. “We figured that was a positive step forward. It helps save money, and helping our residents save money is always good, and providing them with access to renewable energy made a lot of sense.”
“Solar energy obviously has a carbon footprint,” he explained. “There is carbon energy associated with the manufacturing of steel and solar panels, but the carbon footprint of those aspects of solar farms has been studied.”
The average lifespan of a solar farm is 25 to 30 years or more, with studies indicating the ‘carbon payback’ period, referring to the time a solar panel system takes to offset the carbon emissions associated with its manufacturing and installation, is relatively short, within a few years of its lifespan.
“To the extent that we can reduce that carbon reliance, we want to do that,” said Ruthman. “From a corporate responsibility standpoint, by taking our part, we’re taking ownership of our role. It’s a small role; it’s a drop in the bucket, but everybody has to do a part.”
