MaineBusiness.com

OceanView at Falmouth and The Highlands and Highland Green of Topsham – retirement and active adult communities operated by John Wasileski and Sea Coast Management Company – are offering a free Toyota Prius and/or a free solar hot water system for customers purchasing new home sites at their three master-planned communities. The communities are also offering to install solar hot water systems on existing homes “at cost” in order to encourage the conversion.

The marketing push is part of an effort to help generate year-end sales and is in keeping with the voluntary pledge the communities have accepted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the Governor’s Carbon Challenge – a program administered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) that requires participating companies to sign a pledge to inventory, track and reduce their carbon emissions.

“Being part of a responsible community that helps protect the environment is increasingly important to our customers. And it’s not just the Boomers,” said Wasileski. “By embracing sustainable practices and providing our residents with options such as solar power we’re appealing to the marketplace and doing right by the environment.”

Wasileski is a leader in Maine’s retirement community industry and has a B.A. degree from McGill University in Montreal. Wasileski also served as an intern for The Environmental Careers Organization in 1976 and was influenced by Ray Anderson’s book entitled Mid-Course Correction. All three of the Sea Coast communities are embracing internal sustainability practices and performing outreach to their resident population.

The company-wide sustainability initiative includes using 5% bio-diesel – a vegetable oil-based fuel that reduces net carbon dioxide emissions – in all of their diesel equipment. A comprehensive recycling program, energy efficient lighting, solar hot water systems, natural gas as the primary heating - and a even an extensive wellness program – are all components of Sea Coast’s commitment to sustainability, according to Wasileski.

OceanView at Falmouth has installed a large-scale solar hot water system located on their Hilltop Lodge. The system will utilize 360 evacuated-tube collectors mounted on the roof and will supply hot water for the 69 residential apartments, including food and maintenance service, in the Main Lodge and Hilltop Lodge buildings of OceanView at Falmouth. A similar but larger system has been approved for OceanView’s Falmouth House.

The Highlands of Topsham is installing a large-scale solar hot water system that consists of eighteen Apricus evacuated tube collectors, for a total of 540 tubes. The system will produce an average of 432,000 BTU’s per year and will offset over 36,000 pounds of CO2 emissions each year. All three of the systems are designed for solar domestic hot water heating to provide hot water to the residents and the kitchen facilities in the various buildings.

Highland Green, an active adult resort community, is an emerald in the development world. It is a 650-acre anti-sprawl community that values community and preservation. Wasileski has preserved 230 acres in a conservation easement held by the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust that forever protects a section of the Cathance River and offers hiking trails to the residents and community at large.

Wasileski also co-founded the Cathance River Education Alliance (CREA), a non-profit that seeks to encourage environmental education in the local community by using the nature preserve at Highland Green to develop and perform environmental curricula. Highland Green’s new Community Center includes solar panels that will supplement the energy received from the grid. Another sustainability initiative at Highland Green extends to the Scottish-style golf course – which is pursuing the Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary program certification. This program reduces the ecological impact of the golf course, while simultaneously preserving the quality, challenge, and playability of the course.

The solar hot water systems at all three communities are being designed and installed by Energyworks, Maine's full service renewable energy contractor. Specializing in solar, solar thermal and high efficiency wood boilers, Energyworks serves all of southern and mid coast Maine with offices in Portland and Liberty. For an average Highland Green residence, the 30-tube system to provide 100% of the summertime domestic hot water demand and between 70-80% of your needs on an annual basis, according to Fortunat Mueller of Energyworks. This system is eligible for both a State rebate of 25% up to $1250 and a 30% Federal Tax credit of up to $2000. After rebate the cost of the system will likely be less then $4,500.

Nancy Brown moved to Highland Green from Washington, D.C. two years ago, and had a solar hot water system installed when she built her home. Her southern exposure provides plenty of light to meet all of her domestic hot water needs. “You can wash your dishes, take a shower, and do your laundry all at once and there is plenty of hot water. It’s an incredible system.” Brown believes in renewable energy and would love to see more of these installations at Highland Green. This technology, along with a growing array of environmentally friendly options including solar electricity, FSC certified sustainable lumber, non-toxic materials, high-efficiency appliances and plumbing systems, and other customizable options will become more available at Highland Green in the future.

“We have a unique opportunity to help lead by example by transitioning our company to become more sustainable and also by educating our customers about the renewable energy and other green options that are currently available,” said Wasileski, owner of The Highlands, Highland Green and OceanView at Falmouth. “In the end I think we’ll find that doing good turns out to be good for the bottom line as well.”