News | Prudent Living

Prudent Living to Build Largest Private Solar Power Project in Vermont

Prudent Living Wins Bid to Build Largest Private Solar Power Project in Vermont

Black River Produce of N. Springfield

Prudent Living recently won the bid to install the largest private solar power system in Vermont. The $1.3 million photovoltaic project for Black River Produce of N. Springfield, a wholesaler to stores and farmers’ markets of fresh, organic and specialty produce and products for more than 30 years, will use 1600 240-watt solar panels to cover 62,300 square feet of roof, generating enough power to save as much as 50% of Black River’s annual utility bill.

“This is a very exciting project for us,” said Prudent Living Vice-President Tim Biebel. “We’re delighted by the environmental leadership Black River Produce is showing and proud to be a part of that good stewardship. Beyond being the largest privately-built photovoltaic system in Vermont, what’s really rewarding about this project is that Black River Produce brings people high quality, delicious, garden-fresh fruits, vegetables and specialty products. And now they’re going to do it in a way that is good for the planet that grows those fruits and vegetables, with clean energy from the sun.”

With this installation, Black River Produce will be protected from rising electricity costs and, more importantly, reduce their carbon footprint. “One disadvantage of our business is that we’re energy hogs, with a need for reliable refrigeration and many diesel delivery trucks,” said Mark Curran, Partner, Black River Produce. “Because of our big carbon footprint, we’d been looking for a better way to use energy for years but the payback was too long, as much as 20 to 30 years. But, this year, with good pricing, tax credits and Prudent Living’s innovative micro-inverter system which keeps one failing solar panel from taking down the whole system, it was much more feasible.” The impending solar project is just one of many renewable energy solutions Black River has adopted. “The cheapest watt is the watt you don’t use,” Curran explained. “We redid our lighting to make it more efficient. Our refrigeration system is computer-controlled . We power our fleet of trucks with vegetable oil from our restaurants converted to bio-diesel. And now, we’re investing in ourselves and our environment with solar power. Our goal is to get as much local food on the plate as possible. More than 22% of our sales were locally-raised products from more than 120 Vermont farms. Being socially responsible fits our philosophy. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Black River Produce, green construction, Green Energy, Prudent Living, renewable energy, solar power, Sustainable Energy

Prudent Living To Install Large Solar Power System

Prudent Living To Install Solar Power System for Hidden Springs Maple Syrup

Prudent Living is installing a large solar power system for Hidden Springs Maple Syrup’s new headquarters in Putney, VT. Hidden Springs is a family-owned and operated producer of pure maple syrup, selling on-line across the US. The new photovoltaic system will generate electricity and offset electric utility costs. The new PV system uses seventy-two 235-watt solar modules; the 17-kilowatt system generates enough energy to completely power three average homes. The new post-and-beam Hidden Springs headquarters is heated and cooled primarily by geo-thermal energy.

According to Prudent Living Vice-President Tim Biebel, the photovoltaic system is projected to save as much as 70 to 80% on electricity costs, depending upon usage. “This is a fantastic project,” Biebel stated. “What’s cool is Hidden Springs is making a product from nature– syrup–and now they will be doing that with clean energy from the sun. So, they will be using the sun for both their product and their process. Plus, it’s smart business. They’ve set themselves up for levelized energy costs: every year for the next 25 years they’ll know what their electricity costs will be. They are immune to electricity cost increases, thanks to this new PV system. We enjoyed working with a good environmental steward like Hidden Springs and are excited about the leadership they are showing.”

Renewable energy made so much sense to Hidden Springs that they decided to use an alternative energy solution to offset their energy needs. “We believe in renewable energy,” said Hidden Springs Manager Sarah Weck. “Our geo-thermal system powers the building, providing most of the heat in both the store and the attached house. But, the geo-thermal system requires a lot of electricity which costs a lot of money. So, we decided to put solar panels on our huge, southern-facing roof and use free solar energy to power our geo-thermal system. We’re very happy with our decision. Prudent Living has a lot of experience and did a great job explaining the process and installing the system. We look forward to generating so much free electricity with our new solar panel system that we’ll be able to offset energy costs at our other locations.” For more information about Hidden Springs Maple Syrup, go to https://hiddenspringsmaple.com.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Geothermal, Green Energy, Prudent Living, renewable energy, Solar, Sustainable Energy

Bill Wolff Joins Prudent Living

Bill Wolff Joins Prudent Living as Creative/Marketing Director

(WINDSOR, VT) Prudent Living, an Upper Valley company offering services, strategies, products and a community that encourage a prudent way of life, recently hired Bill Wolff of Bridgewater Corners as Creative/Marketing Director. Wolff, who has a BFA in Graphic Design from the Maine College of Art and a Masters of Science in Strategic Technology Management from Marlboro College Graduate School, brings nearly 30 years of direct mail, business to business and publishing design experience to the company, including 22 years of digital media work. Wolff’s primary responsibilities are branding, communications support and designing Prudent Living Magazine, the company’s new e-publication. The free, quarterly e-magazine is a resource for how to live prudently, from suggestions for green home renovations and alternative energy solutions to gardening tips and health information. Designed to educate readers on how to live smart, use resources wisely, preserve good health and safeguard the planet, the short, tips-filled articles are seasonal, practical and relevant. The spring issue is currently on-line at www.prudentlivingmagazine.com and the summer issue will be available mid-May.

“We’re happy to have someone of Bill’s caliber and experience on the Prudent Living Team,” said Tim Biebel, Vice-President of Prudent Living. “Not only does Bill have a wealth of knowledge and skills but also he walks the talk; his family is an early adopter of alternative energy solutions, so he has a great vision of who we are and who we can become.”

Wolff agrees that his new position with the company is a good fit. “Our family uses renewable energy strategies including passive solar for both power and hot water,” Wolff explained. “We’re grid-tied and are supplying energy back to the community. We live close to the land, with a garden, bees and chickens. We live a thrifty and frugal lifestyle, so it’s exciting to work for an organization that is as passionate about prudent living as we are and supports people like us who want to live a more intentional life that’s good for people and the planet.”

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Prudent Living Showcases Alternative Energy Solutions

Prudent Living Showcases Alternative Energy Solutions
at Recent New Hampshire Home Life Show

(WINDSOR, VT) Prudent Living, an Upper Valley company offering services, strategies, products and a community that encourage a prudent way of life, showcased alternative energy solutions and tips on living a smarter, more sustainable life at the recent New Hampshire Home Life Show in Hanover. Foot traffic at the 34^th annual event, featuring 200 vendor booths of home, garden and lifestyle products and services and sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, was estimated at nearly 8000 attendees.

The Prudent Living booth highlighted the benefits of prudent living and sustainable energy use with a model train village called Sustainable, just over the mountain from the town of Consumption Junction. The company gave away more than 500 stickers to children who watched the train make its journey from thoughtless consumerism to smart frugality. The booth also featured Prudent Living On the Home Front Blogger Nancy Wolff sharing prudent tips on home gardening and the perfect potting soil recipe as well as a contest for the best frugal tip. On the Homefront presented more than 1100 recipe cards to visitors. New subscribers to the free, quarterly Prudent Living e-Magazine received subscription gifts and the company awarded two grand prizes to visitors to the booth: an iPod touch to Linda Tyler and a top-of-the-line home grain mill which grinds raw grain into flour, valued at $265, to Karen Hubbard.

“We were delighted to share the latest information on how to live a smarter, more intentional and responsible life to the many visitors to the New Hampshire Home Life Show,” said Vice-President Tim Biebel. “People who stopped by our booth not only learned about sustainable alternative energy solutions such as solar, hydro-electric, geothermal and wind power, but also picked up tips on conserving wealth, protecting and improving health, developing more self-reliance and self-sufficiency, homesteading, gardening and much more. It was a very successful event for us and for visitors interested in the rewards of prudent living.”

Prudent Living is an Upper Valley company offering services, strategies, products and a community that encourage a prudent way of life. Started in 2009 by Biebel Builders, quality home and commercial builders in Windsor, Vermont since 1976, Prudent Living provides customers with energy-efficient architectural design; green strategies for homebuilding and renovation; energy audits; and renewable alternatives such as solar, wind and geothermal. More than just builders of houses, Prudent Living helps people build an intentional life –whether it’s by carefully managing natural resources, spending more wisely by investing in a home energy audit and energy efficient upgrades, or by safeguarding the health of the planet and contributing positively to the environment. The Prudent Living community relies on the dynamic web site, informative blogs and free quarterly Prudent Living e-Magazine for practical suggestions for daily life. The company will soon launch Prudent Living Market, an e-commerce site of prudent products.

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Upper Valley Homelife Show

Prudent Living to Showcase Alternative Energy Solutions
at March 16-18 New Hampshire Home Life Show

(WINDSOR, VT) Prudent Living, an Upper Valley company offering services, strategies, products and a community that encourage a prudent way of life, will be showcasing alternative energy solutions and tips on living a smarter, more sustainable life at the New Hampshire Home Life Show, Friday through Sunday, March 16 through 18 at Dartmouth College’s Leverone Field House in Hanover.

Prudent Living’s booth will highlight the benefits of prudent living and sustainable energy use with a model train village called Sustainable, just over the mountain from the town of Consumption Junction. The booth will also feature Prudent Living On the Home Front Blogger Nancy Wolff sharing prudent tips on home gardening and the perfect potting soil recipe; a contest for the best frugal tip; a giveaway of a baker’s dozen card deck of favorite recipes; gifts for new subscribers to the free, quarterly Prudent Living e-Magazine; and grand prizes of an iPod Touch and a top-of-the-line home grain mill which grinds raw grain into flour, valued at $265.

“At Prudent Living, we believe it’s time to live a smarter, more intentional and responsible life,” said Vice-President Tim Biebel. “We believe sustainable choices include not only alternative energy solutions such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydro-electric power, but also other important concepts including conserving wealth, protecting and improving health, developing more self-reliance and self-sufficiency, homesteading, gardening and much more. That’s why we are participating in the Home Life Show, to show participants how rewarding prudent living can be.”

In its 34^th year and sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, the New Hampshire Home Life Show’s 9000 attendees will visit 200 vendor booths featuring services and products such as building, landscaping, remodeling, furniture, cars, pools, sun rooms, kitchens, baths, tractors, tile/flooring and food. Participants will enjoy a variety of demonstrations, entertainment and education, including information about the benefits of solar energy at the Prudent Living booth.

Posted in Uncategorized