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Solar Panels Will Power Green Retirement Community In Exton

By Brad Segall

EXTON, Pa. (CBS) - A continuing care retirement community with a unique "green" component is starting to take shape in Chester County.

Makemie at Whiteland is a 33-acre, 200 unit community scheduled to open in Exton next year. What makes this community different is that it will sit right next to what will become the largest residential solar field in Pennsylvania.

The community's electric power will come from more than 6,800 solar panels capable of producing nearly 1.8 megawatts of power. VP of Project Development for Makemie Jim Polaski says that's enough to light up the entire community.

"Just being green and good stewards of our planet, we're saving tons and tons of pollutants going into the air that would be necessary if we were generating electricity through coal or fuel oil or anything like that."

They even received a $2.5 million state grant for the solar energy project. There's an open house at the site today at three to give people a sneak peek at what it will all look like.

 

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