New solar panels expected to save CCRC $40,000 per year

McKnights Senior Living | Kathleen Steele Gaivin
February 2, 2022

The Town Center at Covenant Living of Cromwell, a continuing care retirement community in Connecticut, is committed to conserving energy and becoming more sustainable for the future while at the same time lowering operational expenses, according to Executive Director Dan Stegbauer. The company recently installed 356 solar panels with the expectation of saving $40,000 a year — $1.4 million over the next 20 years.

Covenant Living of Cromwell added the Town Center last year, with 54 new one- and two-bedroom apartments and access to new amenities.

The solar panels will help to avoid releasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and will generate enough power equal to providing energy for more than 23 homes, the company said. The project was completed in partnership with Titan Energy and Greenskies Clean Energy.

Across the country, several senior living communities are committing to a smaller carbon footprint in the name of resident health and safety. Recently, Carroll Lutheran Village Westminster, MD, installed energy-efficient lighting and solar panels to reduce energy consumption and costs. The not-for-profit CCRC anticipates saving $60,000 to $70,000 per year by going green.

Residents of a Florida CCRC saw their drive for sustainable energy become a reality last summer with the installation of 682 solar panels on the community’s roof. The panels are expected to generate $50,000 in annual savings on the community’s $1 million electric bill.

Back in 2019, Terrace Communities for Assisted Living and Memory Care in Vermont signed on for a solar farm to offset electricity costs for its Woodstock Terrace in Woodstock, Valley Terrace in White River Junction and Equinox Terrace in Manchester Center communities. The project saved the three Terrace locations a little more than $12,000 in 2020, with an expectation of saving up to $20,000 annually.