Founded in 2016, Quispamsis-based The Smart Energy Company (Smart Energy) is helping businesses create pathways to a sustainable, carbon-neutral future through innovative renewable energy solutions.
Co-founder and Chief Development Officer Jeff McAloon says Smart Energy is helping Canadian farms gain energy independence by harnessing the power of the sun. “Our NOREASTER® is a ground-mounted solar energy system designed and manufactured in New Brunswick. With this solution, farmers reduce or even eliminate their electricity expenses,” says McAloon. “As the only system of its kind in North America with a 50-year warranty, it’s a multi-generational solution for those farms.”
Award Winning Sustainability
The NOREASTER, a modularized solar farm, is a durable option for farmers that is purpose-built to withstand the harsh winds and extreme weather events that have become increasingly common. It can also be provided as a DIY solution that Smart Energy’s customers can assemble with minimal support.
Family-run McCrea Farms in Shannon, New Brunswick jumped at the opportunity to not only install a NOREASTER but build the 100kW micro-solar farm themselves. The result? Recognition from Canada’s Clean 50 with a National Clean50 Top Project Award.
McAloon says the award win resulted from working with an actively engaged customer. “We were at the farm, and they pointed out an on-site barn. A German company sent the barn’s materials and instructions, and they had built it themselves. They asked if this could be done with our solar farm,” he says. “We thought it was a great idea, so we rented warehouse space, assembled the solar farm indoors three times, crafted a set of instructions, and gave it to them to try themselves. We were on standby to support if needed, but they did the work.”
The family successfully assembled a 250-solar panel farm. “All that was left was for our electrician to do the final electrification,” notes McAloon. “Now, McCrea Farms is offsetting their energy needs with a fully functioning micro-solar farm they constructed. They’re not alone. I would estimate that over 50 per cent of our farm customers are now building the projects themselves.”
He says that to date, Smart Energy customers have kept an estimated 1,196,249.5 Kg of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere.
Benefits of Sustainable Solutions
McAloon says that aside from the obvious need to adopt sustainable solutions for the sake of the environment companies recognize it as the more economical choice.
“There was a time when adopting a renewable energy solution was quite costly. That’s changed. Our solar solution reduces a farm’s power bills and locks their energy costs in place. Our clean energy storage systems also allow businesses to minimize downtime and guard against fluctuations in energy costs.” (Learn about Smart Energy’s clean energy storage solutions here.)
He says the need for sustainable farming is growing as Canada’s commodity groups commit to net-zero by 2050. “It’s not the commodity groups that will achieve those net-zero targets, it’s the farmers. Sustainability is top-of-mind for them as food buyers increasingly insist on sustainable practices.”
McAloon says solar energy costs continue to fall as technologies improve. He points to federal tax incentives that are making it easier for farms and other businesses to begin seeing energy savings from day one. “Capital costs are down dramatically and there are many financing entities that want to fund clean energy projects; you can start recouping costs ASAP.”
What’s next?
McAloon says that over half of the solar power installed in New Brunswick was done by Smart Energy. The company just completed its first project in Newfoundland & Labrador, is finishing another in Southwestern Ontario, and is looking at projects in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. He says a US push could happen as early as 2025, with eyes on New England. “Electricity costs in that region are considerably higher than here. The economic impetus for New England farmers to adopt renewable energy is even greater. That’s an exciting opportunity for our team.”
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Learn more at https://solarfarming.ca/
New Brunswick-based businesses beginning their sustainability journey can connect with ONB. Our team is ready to help.
