Heritage Homestead goes solar

Kathleen and Scott Miller

A unique homestead and home-based freeze-drying business in the Back Creek Valley of the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia has woven together traditional living principles with modern solar technology to power up their journey toward sustainability and self-sufficiency. 

Heritage Homestead near Hedgesville is owned and run by Scott and Kathleen Miller, with help from Kathleen’s sister Mary Bowie, and extra hands from the Miller’s four children.

“We’ve partnered with Mountain View Solar to integrate solar energy with battery backup into our operations,” Scott said of the couple’s recent step into solar.

The system includes 60 Tesla solar panels – 40 ground mounted in a grazing field and 20 on the roof of the family’s farmhouse – plus a Tesla Gateway Switch.

“TheTesla Gateway Switch seamlessly allows our entire establishment to run on solar power with battery backup during outages,” said Scott. “During 25 grid down events, the system has provided us with 8 hours of uninterrupted power backup, ensuring continuity of operations.”

“When the power goes out, we don’t feel it,” Kathleen said.

Since the system went active in April of 2023, Heritage Homestead has generated 30.3 megawatts of power.

“With reduced dependency on traditional grid power, we’ve witnessed significant savings in our energy bills,” Scott said.

Those savings add up for the family and their burgeoning business, making and selling freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, cheesecake and ice cream. Products are sold via their website (https://www.heritagehomesteadwv.com/shop) and in regional specialty stores and markets, from Black Dog Coffee in Shenandoah Junction to Orr’s Farm Market in Martinsburg, the Wardensville Garden Market and J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works in Charleston, W.Va. Kathleen said in just two years, their freeze-dried product line is stocked in all West Virginia State Parks. 

The profits from that business “feed the farm,” said Kathleen. 

Going solar made sense for their electricity-intensive freeze-drying operation and their rural location, where power outages are a regular occurrence.

Kathleen Miller and her sister Mary Bowie with their freeze-dried ice cream.

“It was the next logical step,” said Kathleen.

Generating their own electricity from the sun on their small farm also aligns with the Miller’s priorities as a family, a homestead and a business.

“Our commitment to sustainable practices resonates with our customers, enhancing brand loyalty and trust in our products,” Scott said. “We’re proud to lead by example in our local community, inspiring others to adopt renewable energy solutions for a brighter, greener future.

“We want to encourage people to be more self-reliant,” said Kathleen. 

The couple said going solar has “lined up beautifully” and they generate roughly 86% of their electricity needs.

mtvSolar’s willingness to be creative in designing a system meant Heritage Homestead was able to balance solar panels and battery equipment to fit their budget and expected returns. That’s one reason the Millers recommend mtvSolar to folks who ask about their new solar array.

What’s next on the solar-powered family homestead? A greenhouse to extend their growing season, tending to the food forest that’s maturing in one of their fields and promoting the skills of homesteading for other people who are interested in embracing the lifestyle. There’s a lot to learn, as the farm teaches them every day.

Going solar just got a boost with new federal credits & incentives

mtvSolar is excited to learn of new levels of federal support for clean energy projects, adding another layer of incentives for residential and commercial customers to install solar as their power source. These investments in growing the clean energy economy will have special impact around rural coal communities and on sustainable energy projects in low-income communities. Details of these programs were released just last week by the U.S. Treasury, the U.S. Department of Energy and the IRS.

mtvSolar has a long track record of building out solar in underserved communities, and working with partners to boost solar in low-income areas.

Danny Chiotos, mtvSolar Director of Product Delivery, said the U.S. government’s new funds for clean energy create “stacked incentives” to offset the costs of solar panels, battery systems, smart electric panels and related electrical work.

Commercial solar projects have access to the widest variety of federal credits, said Danny. Businesses can receive the standard 30% federal tax credit for solar energy project costs, can apply for the USDA and Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants to possibly cover up to 40% of the cost of commercial projects, plus the new location-based incentives that can add 10% additional credits for projects in coal-affected communities, and in low-income communities.

“When you start adding those together, we can be talking about covering nearly all of the costs of a commercial solar energy installation,” said Danny.

Residential solar projects can still receive the 30% federal tax credit for new systems, plus applicable depreciation on a homeowner’s taxes each year. Other credits may be available from individual state tax departments for energy efficiency work, using American-made clean energy components and more.

Customers are encouraged to consult their tax advisors as they work with our PV Consultants to make the most of these new federal incentives to power a business, farm or home with solar.

And it’s worth remembering that all tax credits and financial incentives are added to our customers’ main savings – free electricity generated by their solar panels harnessing the power of the sun.