A bustling retirement community in Essex has powered up its latest sustainable initiative, more than 1,000 new solar panels in three different locations on its property.

The energy produced by the new system at Essex Meadows is enough to power 57 average-sized homes annually, according to the solar developer responsible for the install, Hartford-based Verogy.

The solar arrays are affixed on the roof of the main building of Essex Meadows at 30 Bokum Road and on top of a 10-bay carport for Electric Vehicles (EVs). They are also ground-mounted in a meadow area on the facility’s property. The new solar panels complement an existing array previously installed on the roof top of the main building.

The clean energy produced by the system at Essex Meadows will help offset 494 metric tons of carbon dioxide, according to a press release issued by Verogy.

Jennifer Rannestad, executive director for Essex Meadows, says that moving in a sustainable direction is a priority for the organization and is backed by the residents.

“The residents are supportive of anything that is environmentally friendly including the solar and it also has an economic benefit too, which, of course, is helpful to them in managing costs,” said Rannestad.

The new system will help residents save money on their electric utility bills. It will also afford them the opportunity to participate in the state’s Zero-Emission Renewable Energy Credits (ZREC) program.

Through this program, commercial solar system owners can participate in a 15-year contract with the state’s utility companies, which pay a fixed price for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of solar electricity generated.

Verogy expects Essex Meadows to see a net cumulative benefit of over $4 million over the 35-year lifetime of the system.

This solar project is one of many environmental initiatives at the retirement community, which uses standards in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as a framework for progress in sustainability. Essex Meadows earned Ledership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification in 2009 and was re-certified in 2014.

“We keep moving along that continuum to try to get to the most environmentally friendly that we can be,” said Rannestad.

The organization has made much progress in the LEED sustainable sites category, said Rannestad, using non-potable water for irrigation, eco-friendly laundry practices that reduce water and chemicals, and a high-efficiency geothermal heating and cooling system, as a few examples.

The latest projects, which involve residents at the facility and members of the Essex Meadows Green and Landscape Committees, include a recycling program and one that encourages gardening with and retaining native plants on the facility’s grounds.

The environmental programs at Essex Meadows are consistent with the town of Essex’s commitment to sustainability, which is spearheaded by the Sustainable Essex committee.

Susan Abbot, co-chair of Sustainable Essex, says that the committee is interested in bringing solar energy to Essex, and that the Sustainable CT program, for which Essex is currently at bronze certification, has several action items related to this category.

“We haven’t been able to implement anything as yet,” said Abbot. “Essex Elementary already has solar panels and we worked with the Connecticut Green Bank this year to look at all town owned buildings to see if any had enough square footage of roof space to be able to participate in a Green Bank program to install panels. They didn’t.”

The committee plans to continue to inform the town about the different options for solar, whether it be ground mounted, a carport or a roof top, she continued.

“It’s fantastic what Essex Meadows is doing,” she said, adding “they are way ahead of everybody.”