ORANGE — Building sustainability in the North Quabbin region is the goal at the center of Thursday’s “Flip the Switch” party at the Quabbin Harvest Food Co-op.
Co-hosted by Quabbin Harvest, Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, Northeast Solar and Phippenadams Solar, the celebration of the completed installation of solar panels on the food co-op’s roof will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Leigh Youngblood, executive director of Mount Grace, and Cathy Stanton, board chair for Quabbin Harvest, will open the event. Janice Kurkoski, a Quabbin Harvest member who brought people together for the project, will speak briefly about developing the project and how it is helping save money and decrease the building’s carbon footprint, according to a Quabbin Harvest press release.
The gift of solar panels and the installation were made possible by Phippenadams Solar, run by Brian Adams and Morey Phippen, and the Hatfield-based Northeast Solar. According to the release, Adams and Phippen have worked with Northeast Solar to install more than 32 solar photovoltaic systems at no cost for local nonprofits.
The solar photovoltaic installation will be dedicated to the memory of Peter Talmage who was an instructor in the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency program at Greenfield Community College. According to the release, Talmage brought Adams and Phippen, Janice and Steve Kurkoski, and Northeast Solar together to consider solar projects for nonprofits concerned about land conservation, food and farm issues.
Light refreshments will be served at the event, featuring home-cooked food from Nalini’s Kitchen at Quabbin Harvest.