EBSCO Publishing has installed a photovoltaic array on the roof of their building on Union Street in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

The 192 solar panels, mounted on the roof of the Quartz Building on Union Street, feed power directly into the building, offsetting the amount of power that the company buys from the grid. When the sun shines, the system supplements enough electricity to power about 50 average homes. EBSCO’s 192 module system will generate approximately 41,300 kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually.

“We started by forming a team of employees to discuss our goals and make suggestions,” Tim Collins, President of EBSCO Publishing. “We have made changes as small as buying company mugs and water bottles for all of our employees to cut down on paper and Styrofoam waste. We’ve also made larger decisions such as changing our corporate fleet over to hybrid cars. The solar panels are part of our overall decision to decrease our environmental footprint, but we will continue to explore other environmentally-friendly options.”

EBSCO was not eligible to receive grants for public utility customers from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative which would have offset a portion of the cost but made the decision based on the long-term benefits.