Kinsley Family ShopRite in Brodheadsville debuted its 10-acre solar field Nov. 9 in a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

The project, which took a few years from concept to completion, is now on the grid.

Christopher Kinsley, owner of Kinsley Family ShopRite, said he wanted to do something useful with the gently, sloping hillside in front of his store when Endless Energy in Wilkes-Barre approached him about a solar field. He looked into the background of the company and decided to pursue the project.

“They’re a good company, and we’re very happy to be partners with them,” Kinsley said. “They did a nice job.”

Behind a chain-link fence, the 2.12 megawatt solar system contains a sea of 4,300 black panels mounted on metal frames and tilted to the sky. Endless Energy estimates the system will produce about 2,700,000 kilowatts of electricity per year.

Michael Pitcavage, the CEO of Endless Energy, said it is enough energy to reduce their total utility budget by 85% and 90% for the next 30 to 40 years.

Kinsley said that the electricity generated by the solar panels is stored by the electric utility company PPL. They will monitor the amount of electricity it generates.

The project cost about $4 million, Kinsley said. His business received a $500,000 grant from PPL, and a 30% tax credit under the federal Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Pitcavage said the tax credit is for 10 years, of which one year has already passed, but it will be available to Kinsley to use for the next nine years. He anticipates that the grocery store will have its investment recouped in five to eight years.

Kinsley is excited about the solar project, saving money on his energy bills, and is willing to talk to other business owners about how it works. He said the panels don’t have to be placed in a field. They can be placed on roofs or as covering over a parking lot.

“We hope some other businesses will jump onboard,” Kinsley said.

“I would like to thank the Kinsley family for allowing Endless Energy the opportunity to work with them on this amazing solar project,” Pitcavage said at the ribbon cutting.

Pitcavage also presented the Kinsley family with the Pennsylvania Solar Center’s Lodestar Award, which is presented to organizations and businesses that have demonstrated “leadership throughout the diverse field of solar energy,” Pitcavage said.

“The solar energy industry touches a wide swath of the community from the manufacturing and supply chain and the installation of solar, to the people who choose to invest in solar and those that operate and maintain the technology,” he said. “Solar energy saves organizations, businesses, homeowners and communities money and employs more than 5,000 people across the economy of rural, suburban and urban communities of the commonwealth.”