Everything Solar Forum

"Wicked Joe operates in a 20,000-square-foot coffee processing space, a former commissary at Topsham's old Navy Annex that the Garvers converted with a team of local energy specialists, according to the American Solar Energy Society."

"Even with a shorter season than modeled, the system pays for itself in under five years at roughly a 25 percent return on investment, according to the American Solar Energy Society. The company estimates the wall now saves about 40% on heat, or approximately $10,000 a year, savings that help hold down the price of the coffee on the shelf, "so people save when they buy from their local grocery store," NASA wrote." 

Check out the full article: https://thebusinessdownload.com/a-maine-coffee-roaster-bet-on-the-sun/

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Ella Nielsen
Membership & Engagement Director
American Solar Energy Society
Boulder CO
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The "beauty" of solar is undeniable, as it has always been....

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william fitch
Owner
www.WeAreSolar.com
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The article was thorough including the links.  I applaud the commitment of the owners and the engineering design effort.  Once again we have to prove the benefits of solar to the uninformed masses.  Regarding the engineering, RETScreen was mentioned as the software used to calculate the economic feasabilty of systems.  This is a Canadian government sponsered software, very robust and loaded with options and a huge database.  I recommend it to everyone considering a sophisticated system.  RETScreen is not for the casual plebe however; it requires a higher level of engineering training in the mechanical and electrical disciplines.  I don't hear it talked about much and most of the HVAC and Commissioning folks I know are not aware of RETScreen.  Pitty that!  So ASES colleagues, look into RETScreen - it is a great tool.

RETScreen

Cheers.

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[Dennis] [Garde AIA, LEED AP]
[Construction Manager, Lisbon]
[US Dept. of State / OBO]
[Savannah] [GA]
[Dennis.Garde@gmail.com]
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If I am not mistaken, RETscreen has been around a fairly long time, and was one of the first good tools available for free...

But ya, not "see spot run".

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william fitch
Owner
www.WeAreSolar.com
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-05-2026 11:20 AM
From: Dennis Garde
Subject: A Maine Coffee Roaster Bet on the Sun

The article was thorough including the links.  I applaud the commitment of the owners and the engineering design effort.  Once again we have to prove the benefits of solar to the uninformed masses.  Regarding the engineering, RETScreen was mentioned as the software used to calculate the economic feasabilty of systems.  This is a Canadian government sponsered software, very robust and loaded with options and a huge database.  I recommend it to everyone considering a sophisticated system.  RETScreen is not for the casual plebe however; it requires a higher level of engineering training in the mechanical and electrical disciplines.  I don't hear it talked about much and most of the HVAC and Commissioning folks I know are not aware of RETScreen.  Pitty that!  So ASES colleagues, look into RETScreen - it is a great tool.

RETScreen

Cheers.

------------------------------
[Dennis] [Garde AIA, LEED AP]
[Construction Manager, Lisbon]
[US Dept. of State / OBO]
[Savannah] [GA]
[Dennis.Garde@gmail.com]
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